A New Beginning
by FireHybrid
Summary: A new trainer has the unusual condition of being halfhuman and halfPoke'mon, causing a struggle for answers behind it. Chp.21: New chapter finally up! I'll try and figure out why is destroying the punctionuation as soon as I can. Enjoy in the meantime.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not claim in anyway to own any part of Pokémon in anyway whatsoever. This is a   
mere fan fic, and any use of the Pokémon label or any other copyrighted material is just for the   
story, not for profit. If you like the story, or even if you hate it, write me. Tell me what  
you honestly think can be fixed on, or what you like. Just don't be one of those people who have   
to point out every little grammar and/or spelling error. I personally can't stand people like that!  
  
  
Anyway, on with the story!  
  
  
Chp.1- And you thought you started off on the wrong foot...  
  
  
My name is Dan Gotem. I'm 13 years old, about five foot nine inches tall with a thin   
build. I have brown hair and blue eyes. Like most kids, I was amazed with Pokémon since I was a   
baby, and I always dreamed of being a trainer. Unfortunately, I got off to a late start. My   
parents were a little less supportive of my trying to be a trainer, and they wanted me to finish   
middle school before I started out on my journey. Naturally, I fought this to the bitter end,   
but since I needed them to sign off the papers that allowed me to get my trainer's license,   
there wasn't much I could do. After elementary school, I had to watch my friends leave Pallet   
and go off on their own, while I constantly had my parents watching over my back. Don't get me   
wrong, I think my parents are the best in the world, but they're a little over protective of me.  
  
Anyway, I stayed around and worked through middle school, getting all the grades I had   
to get, while studying anything that had to do with Pokémon in my free time. I remember   
graduation night like it was yesterday;after I got my certificate, I ran home, got my sleeping   
bag and a change of clothes, and parked myself in front of Prof. Oak's front door for the night.   
  
I awoke the next morning to the feeling of someone tripping over me and spilling hot   
coffee on my head, a yell, a thud and then some muffled swearing. After getting as much as the  
coffee out of my hair as I could and helping the Professor to his feet, he grabbed his paper and   
led me inside to his lab.   
  
"A little anxious, are we?" Oak asked after I changed clothes in his bathroom.  
  
"Sorry about that." I apologized. " It's just that I'm glad I can actually start doing   
what I've always wanted to do."  
  
"That's understandable." We came to a machine that held the Poké Balls for starting   
trainers. " I hope you had some time to think about which Pokémon you plan on starting with while  
you were camped outside my door."  
  
I nodded as the glass dome over the machine opened. "I've been thinking about that since   
I watched all my friends get their Pokémon years ago. After three years, I would think I've had   
enough time to think it over."  
  
Looking around the machine, I found the Poké Ball labeled "Bulbasaur" and grabbed it.   
  
"Bulbasaur! I choose you!" I threw out the Pokéball, and it opened upon contact with the   
floor. A jagged beam of light shot out of the opened ball and slowly materialized into a Pokémon.  
  
"Bulba!" my new Pokémon yelled when it was fully formed.  
  
"Professor, it looks great!" The bulb on it's back looked healthy, it wasn't out of   
control, and it seemed to take a liking toward me. Things would be great between us.  
  
After Prof. Oak had given me my Poké Balls and Pokédex, I went immediately home to pack.   
Bulbasaur was good the whole time, helping me find things as Mom rushed from room to room, making   
sure I wasn't forgetting anything important. By the time she was done, even the large hiking   
backpack barely held everything in.   
  
"O.K., let's see if I can get this thing on..." I lifted up the backpack as much as I   
could, but it was like lifting a 300-pound lead weight. "Unngghh...Bulbasaur, a little help!"  
  
"Bulba..." I lifted again and managed to get it partway off the couch. Bulbasaur got   
behind me and pushed up on the bottom of it with his head. Between the two of us, we managed to   
get it on my back, after about a two-minute struggle. The weight almost pulled me back down   
again, and it took every ounce of resistance I had to stay up.   
  
"Good grief! You sure everything is in here, Mom?" I groaned, trying to take a few steps   
without pitching forward onto my face or throwing my back totally out of alignment.   
  
"Wait! I think you forgot your..." she started to say.  
  
"I was kidding!" I said, cutting her off. I keep forgetting I can never use humor on her   
or any of my family, relatives included. Makes me wonder if I'm adopted sometimes.   
  
I said my good-byes to my parents and friends I'd made in middle school, then started off  
on the traditional route that leads to Viridian City.   
  
It was a long, slow trip, and by the time night came, I hadn't even seen a Pidgey.  
  
"Man, this isn't a good start..." I muttered. I was just thinking about setting up camp   
when something rustled in the bushes. Suddenly, whatever it was took off.  
  
"Hey, come back!" I dropped my pack and ran off after it, hoping it would be a Pokémon.   
At this rate, I would be happy to catch anything.  
  
I ran what seemed like forever, following the sound of crunching leaves and breaking   
sticks. Finally, just as I was about to collapse, I heard my target breathing heavily behind a   
bush, not moving.  
  
This was my chance. I opened Bulbasaur's Poké Ball, wanting to be ready for whatever was   
behind the bush.   
  
"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur called out.  
  
"Shh!" I hushed, but whatever it was must have heard him. (I found out from Prof. Oak   
that it was a boy.) I got out my Pokédex, ready to get the information. A white puff of fur came   
out first, followed by a red and black stripped head.  
  
"Hmm... A Growlithe..." It had it's head down, so I couldn't see it's face. I knew I   
already had a type disadvantage, and I prayed it was at too low of a level to know any fire-type   
moves yet. I hit the scan button on Dexter, and waited for the feedback.  
  
"Growlithe, the puppy Pokémon." Dexter announced. "This Pokémon will defend its territory  
with a mix of barks and bites."  
  
"Bulba?" I looked up to see what was up. Bulbasaur was looking at the ground underneath   
Growlithe's face. There were wet marks on the ground, like it was crying.  
  
"Hey there..." I knelt down in front of the Growlithe, gingerly reaching toward it. "Are   
you..."  
  
Suddenly it's head snapped up, and before I could react...  
  
CHOMP!  
  
"OW!" It bit me! I scrambled back behind Bulbasaur and checked out the damage. The bite   
had broken the skin and it was bleeding pretty steadily. What worried me the most, though, was   
the odd foam that was now sinking beneath the cut and into my bloodstream. I've had my rabies   
vaccinations and all, but that was a while ago.  
  
"What was that for..oh my..." I looked up at the Growlithe, and instantly wished I hadn't  
followed it. The foam was now almost gushing out of its mouth, and was starting to get all over   
the place. What scared Bulbasaur and me the most, though, were its eyes. They were a glowing fire  
color, like a flame in a fireplace. This was definitely not normal!  
  
"Bulba, Bulbasaur saur..." Bulbasaur was about ready to bolt, not that I could disagree   
with it.   
  
"Alright Bulbasaur, on the count of three, we run, O.K?"  
  
"Bulba..." He nodded.  
  
"O.K.," I took a deep breath. I had to be ready for this. "1...2..."  
  
The Growlithe opened its mouth and sent a huge stream of fire at Bulbasaur and me. I   
avoided the worst of it, but I was forced to yank off my shirt when it caught fire. Bulbasaur,   
unfortunately, took it all at full blast. By the time the fire stopped, Bulbasaur was more like a  
brunt vegtabale than anything else.   
  
"NO!" I grabbed at Bulbasaur's Poké Ball and held it pointed at him. "Bulbasaur, return!"  
A red beam shot out of the ball, hit Bulbasaur, and pulled him in like a tractor beam.   
  
Now it was Growlithe and I alone. There was no way I could possible take this thing on,   
much less catch it. There was only one way I might get out of this alive. Putting back   
Bulbasaur's Poké Ball, I grabbed an empty one and enlarged it.   
  
"Alright, you..." I got to my feet, ball in my right hand. I'd been one of the best   
pitchers there was back in Little League baseball. I couldn't throw a ball faster than 35mph,   
but I still always got the save or win for the team. (People always said that kids swung just   
because they got bored waiting for the ball to cross the plate.) "Poké Ball, go!"   
  
I wound up and threw the ball with all the strength I could muster. The ball hit   
Growlithe and pulled it in. That's when I turned tail and ran, hoping I'd have enough time to   
escape before it got out.  
  
I'd taken about ten steps when I heard a small explosion. Looking back, I saw the   
Growlithe with my Poké Ball in pieces around it.  
  
"Crud!" I'd taken about two more steps when I felt incredibly light headed. My legs turned   
to jelly underneath me and the ground rushed up to smack me in the face. I passed out before I   
hit the dirt.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Hours later...  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Uggnnhh...my head..."  
  
I moaned and sat up, looking around. I was back where I'd dropped my pack. Somehow,   
I'd even gotten in my sleeping bag. I looked at my hand, but it looked as if nothing had ever   
happened to it. There wasn't even a scab or scar.  
  
"Was it a dream?" I said to no one in particular. No, that wasn't a dream. It felt way   
too real, and I was still shirtless. Then...how'd I get back here?  
  
"What the hell is this, the Twilight Zone?" I climbed out of and rolled up my sleeping   
bag. I was just strapping it to the frame when I remembered something.  
  
"Bulbasaur!" He was still hurt! I threw on a shirt, forced my pack on my back and ran at   
full speed toward Viridian City. Thankfully, it was only about twenty minutes from where I was.   
  
"Hey, you!"   
  
I'd run by a police outpost, but Officer Jenny stopped me before I could get by. I turned  
toward her, not wanting to be arrested for ignoring a police officers orders.  
  
"Yes, Officer?" I asked impatiently.  
  
"Excuse me young man, but we've been getting a lot of reports about odd people coming   
into town. Can I see some I.D.?"  
  
I handed her my Pokédex, knowing it had the I.D. function in it. While she checked   
everything out, I started to feel an odd pain right above my butt. It really started to hurt   
for a moment, but then there was a sound like something tearing, then the pain was gone.   
I ignored it, figuring it was just something to do with my impatience.   
  
"O.K, everything seems alright. Here you..." Jenny stopped and looked up oddly at me,   
her head moving from side to side.   
  
"Is everything O.K.?" I asked, wondering what had caught her attention.  
  
"Huh? Oh, yes, it's just...this sounds silly, but it looks like you have a tail..."  
  
"A tail?" Now I was the one giving her the odd look. "I think the real question is,   
are you O.K?"  
  
"I'm sorry," she apologized, " but this is hour 33 of a 48 hour shift. I must be seeing   
things from the lack of sleep." She handed me my Pokédex, and I slipped it back into my pocket.   
As I walked away, I heard her mutter, "I really got to switch to decaf..."  
  
I started running again, pausing only for a moment to look at a city map to find the   
Pokémon Center. While I looked at the map, I noticed a woman and her child staring at me. The   
woman had a look of pure terror on her face, but the little boy in her arms seemed confused, if   
anything. When I shifted toward them a little to look at a different part of the map, she grabbed   
the kid and clutched him to her, like she was protecting him from me.  
  
"Geez, I know I'm not the best looking guy in the world, but you don't have to insult   
me!" I said to the pair before turning and going in the other direction toward the Pokémon Center.  
Even as I ran to the Center, I noticed a large amount of people were staring at me as I passed   
by them, and it sounded like something was being dragged behind me. I was too worried about   
Bulbasaur, though, to really care about that.   
  
When the Center came into view, I ran as fast as my feet would carry me to it. The doors   
were locked, though. I beat on them with my fists, but no one came to them.  
  
"Come on!" I yelled. "It's an emergency!" When still no one came, I ran around the   
building and found an open window. It was low enough to the ground for me to climb through, so I   
did. I landed in the trainer bedroom, so I put my stuff down on a bed and went into the main area.   
  
"Nurse Joy? Nurse Joy!" I yelled. "Where are you?"  
  
"*yawn* Hello?" A half-asleep Nurse Joy stumbled out from a room in her nurse's dress.  
  
"Nurse Joy! What happened to you?"  
  
"Sorry, but I was taking care of a Paras. It hit me with some Sleep Powder. That's why   
I'm so tired." she explained, leaning against a door banister.  
  
"Oh...well, could you please take care of my Bulbasaur? It's got burned real bad a few   
hours ago. I think it might be serious!"   
  
"*yawn* Well, why didn't you bring..." she looked at me, and suddenly looked wide awake.   
She stared at me the same way the woman had earlier.   
  
"Um...Joy? You O.K.?" Good grief, what was up with everyone today?  
  
A Chansey wandered in from down the hall toward us. She hadn't seen me yet, but she   
seemed confused as to why Joy was standing motionless against the wall.  
  
"Chansey?" Chansey walked over to Joy and tugged on the edge of her dress. No reaction   
from Joy. "Chan?"  
  
"Chansey, is this normal for her?" I asked.  
  
"Chansey, Sey Ch..." Now she stopped to stare at me. I've had about enough of this!  
  
"What is with all the staring?!" I yelled. "This is getting really annoying!"  
  
"Sey...Chan...Sey...?" she said, shaking badly.  
  
"Like I have a clue what the Rai you just said!" What the Rai? That made no sense! "Chu   
the heck did Rai say that?" Ah! What's happening to me?!  
  
"Chansey..." Chansey ran over to the main desk and opened a drawer. Pulling out a hand   
mirror, she ran back and handed it to me. I looked at my reflection, thinking maybe I had dirt   
on my face from before.   
  
I couldn't have been more wrong.   
  
I stared at my reflection in the same shock I'd seen most people give me. It took some   
self-determination to rip myself away from my changed face.  
  
"Chansey..." I hoped I wasn't going insane, but there was no other logical explanation   
for this. "My nose...is Rai really...small, round... Chu...black?"  
  
"Chan, Sey Sey..." she said with a nod.  
  
"O.K., but is Chu a good thing, or a bad thing?"  
  
"Chan?" She shrugged.  
  
"Oh man, stay cool, stay cool..." I told myself over and over. The last thing I wanted to  
do was freak out, because I knew if I did, I'd never stop.  
  
"Chan...Sey, Chan Chansey, Sey?"   
  
"Huh?"  
  
Chansey walked around behind me. When she came back, she handed me an end piece of a   
Raichu's tail. It was bigger than a normal Raichu tail, though.  
  
"Where'd this Rai from?"  
  
"Chan Chansey." She made a pulling motion with her arms. Curious, I gave a little tug.   
Nothing happened. This time, I pulled as hard as I could.  
  
"OW!" A quick, sharp pain shot up my spine. When the pain subsided, I followed the tail   
from the tip downwards. It stopped right where my spine should end, right above my butt.  
  
"Oh man...Chansey, tell Raichu is some medical condition you Rai about?" I said, using   
every bit of self-control to not freak out.  
  
"Chan..." She shook her head.  
  
"Joy? Joy? Snap out of it!" I gave her a shake to snap her out of her daze. "You Chu help   
me!"  
  
"I...I...don't..." she stammered.  
  
"Bulbasaur!" Geez, I forgot about him! "Joy, Raichu take care of Chu Bulbasaur. Worry   
about Rai later!" I handed her the Poké Ball containing Bulbasaur. Joy looked at me for a few   
more seconds, but then rushed off down the hall. Chansey stayed with me.  
  
I went back into the trainer bedroom and laid out on one of the beds. Man, what is   
happening to me, I thought, feeling my now little nose. This was definitely not normal...but   
then what is it?  
  
Joy took her time taking care of Bulbasaur. It seemed like a half-hour passed when I   
started to feel a little warm. I ignored it at first, but then I started to get really hot,   
and sweat was starting to pour out of my skin by the gallon. I pulled off my shirt to keep it   
from getting soaked. The second I dropped it on the floor, my stomach started doing flips, and   
nausea was starting to set in.  
  
"Rai..." I moaned, rolling onto my side. I felt Chansey put a hand on my head, then   
almost instantly pulled it away, letting out a little yelp.  
  
"Chansey!" Chansey yelled. I heard Joy rush in soon after.  
  
"What is...oh my!" Now Joy placed a hand on my head. "You burning up!"  
  
"Thanks Rai that blinding flash Raichu obvious!" I moaned. "Isn't there anything Chu can   
do?"  
  
"I'm sorry, but this is no medical condition I've ever learned about..." Joy said, much   
to my dismay.  
  
Not seconds after she said that, my skin started to itch all over. I scratched at it   
repeatedly, but it only got worse. My feet were also starting to hurt, like my shoes were   
shrinking while I was still wearing them. I kicked them and my socks off, too.   
  
"Chansey!"  
  
"Oh my!"  
  
"Crud!"  
  
My feet had gone totally Raichu! They were much larger than a normal Raichu's foot, but   
other than that, it looked exactly the same. It even had thick fur covering all of it; dark tan   
down to the two large toes, where it was a light chocolate brown color. On top of that, they   
were growing!  
  
I remembered Mom's last words as I left home to start training. It went something like,   
"If anything ever happens to you, I'll never forgive myself!"  
  
Oh Mom, if you could see this, I thought. I could now feel small hairs springing up   
from out of my skin. Being a young adult, I known I'd grown some hair across my body, but this   
stuff was growing like weeds all over me, the hairs growing longer and thicker with each passing   
second. I don't know which was worse, the hair or the sound of my organs shifting and changing   
shape, which while, by some miracle, didn't hurt, didn't help my nausea either.  
  
"Chansey, Sey Sey, Ch..." The sound of Chansey's voice suddenly dissipated. Great, not   
only am I transforming into a Raichu, I'm going deaf, too! The only plus was I didn't have to   
hear the sound of things growing, moving and disappearing inside my body. That didn't last.  
  
"CHANSEY! SEY CHAN CHANSEY!"  
  
"Yeow! Geez, don't yell!" I cried out.  
  
"SHE'S NOT YELLING! IT'S YOUR EARS!"  
  
"You too!" I added. "That hurts!"  
  
"IT'S..." Joy stopped for a second, then continued in a lower voice. "Were not yelling.   
Your ears are huge!"  
  
"Wha?...Oh man..." I felt my ears, and instantly worried when I couldn't cover them with   
my hands. Moving up, I finally found the pointed tips...a good two inches above the top of my   
head! They weren't human, though. It took a few seconds, but I soon recognized the Raichu shaped   
ears for what they were.  
  
I stayed curled up for another minute or two, then suddenly started to feel better. I   
wasn't hot anymore, and the nausea was totally gone. I swung my legs and sat at the edge of the   
bed, looking at Joy and Chansey.   
  
"Is it...over?" Nurse Joy asked cautiously.  
  
"I...think so..."  
  
"Chansey!" Chansey went over to the bed where I tossed the mirror and retrieved it,   
handing it to me. I reached a human hand covered in neatly groomed dark brown fur out and took   
it, then looked myself over.  
  
The first thing that caught my attention was definitely the ears. They were huge, at   
least a good eight inches in length, and were totally indistinguishable from a Raichu's. I'd   
retained my human hair and hair color, but my eyes had changed color at some point during the   
change, going from blue to an amber color. I'd grown the same nicely groomed fur all over my body  
, and my face was no different. Although my face was still human in shape, the fur across my   
cheeks was bright yellow, and everywhere else was a dark tan. It was also dark tan around my   
neck, except for the part right underneath my chin, where it had grown white.  
  
I put down the mirror and looked at the rest of my body. My arms and legs were still   
human in shape, but covered in more of the dark tan fur. (I rolled up one of my pant legs a   
little to check it out there.) My chest and body had also retained shape, but they were covered   
in more white fur, like at the front of my neck.  
  
"Well, Raichu be worse." I admitted after a while. "I could've went half-Pikachu." I   
stood up and took a few cautious steps. Despite the fact my feet were about twice as big as   
before, and shaped like a Raichu's, I was surprisingly able to move easily, like I'd lived with   
these all my life.  
  
"Your lucky no one else stayed here last night." Joy pointed out. "If they'd seen you   
come in like this, you'd probably be in really trouble."  
  
"Yeah..." I wasn't paying much attention to her as I was all the other things I could   
hear. These ears can pick up the smallest sound hundreds of feet away as if it was right next   
to me. When you got ears this huge, though, that probably shouldn't come as a surprise.   
  
"Joy, try talking normally." I asked. "Raichu see if I can control the Chu of sound that   
reaches my ears so Raichu next to me and not Rai my eardrums explode."  
  
After a few minutes of practice, I managed to control my hearing to a point where people   
sounded louder than usual, but not nearly as bad as it was the first time.  
  
"You're adjusting to this rather quickly." Joy noted when I gotten a better grip on all   
of this. "Are you sure this has never happened to you before?"  
  
"Pretty sure...unless Chu blank out Rai Chu or something. I doubt that, though." I looked  
at my hands questionably. Have I done this before? This doesn't seem familiar... "I still have no  
clue where this came from, though."   
  
"Well, has anything out of the ordinary happened lately?"  
  
"Yeah, Rai bitten earlier..."  
  
"Maybe that's it!"  
  
"...by a Growlithe." I finished.  
  
"Oh...that sounds silly, anyway."   
  
"Maybe not...Chu no normal Growlithe. Its eyes Raichu glowing, and it was foaming Chu   
mouth. I assume Rai nothing you've ever heard Chu, either?"  
  
Joy shook her head. "Nope. Nothing I've ever heard of."  
  
"Chansey I've sey Chan either." Chansey added.  
  
"That's O.K. Chan...Chansey, did Chu Raichu English?"   
  
"Me? Chansey Chan English." she said, shaking her head.  
  
"She's talking normally...um...what did you say your name was?" Joy asked.  
  
"I didn't. My name's Dan, Raichu swear I heard Chansey Chu Rai English."  
  
"Look, Dan, Chansey is talking normally. You're not."  
  
"I Rai help it! It just happens!"  
  
"Maybe you should work on controlling that speech impediment and not on what you think   
Chansey is saying."  
  
"Rai, Rai..." I sighed and gave up. Joy has been more or less been able to piece together   
what I say, but it is kinda annoying to be talking like this.  
  
"Are you hungry?" Nurse Joy asked. "If you've been out for a while, you must be starving."  
  
Now that she mentioned it, I was really hungry. The change probably helped in that, but I  
was close to empty when I came into the city already.  
  
"A little." I said with a nod. Joy led me to the kitchen and told me I could have   
whatever I want, and that she'd check back on me as soon as she took care of some patients.   
  
As soon as she left, I tore open the refrigerator and quickly went to work. Twenty   
minutes later Joy came back in.  
  
"Dan, are you..." She stopped and stared wide eyed at the huge mess I made. Food wrappers  
were all over the place, bowls and pans licked clean, a totally empty refrigerator, all the   
cabinets robbed of their contents, and me, leaning back in a chair, chomping on some small brown   
pelts. It was hard to place a flavor to the taste, but I really didn't care. All I knew was I was  
still hungry.  
  
"That was a days worth of food for five trainers...and you went through it in twenty   
minutes..." she said, stunned.  
  
"Really?" I hadn't even really noticed. If it looked good, and wasn't moving, I'd   
probably eaten it.  
  
"Yes, really! And now you're eating Pokémon food!" She was right. It was Pokémon food,   
not that I cared either way. It tasted good, and that's all that concerned me.  
  
"Sorry..." I apologized, flicking a piece of rice out of my chest fur. "I'll clean Chu up."  
  
"Thank you..." She looked over the mess and sighed. "At least you didn't chew on any   
electrical wires..."  
  
"Um...heh-heh..." I gave the nearby coffee maker a little shove with my hand to cover up   
the broken wire. It was already hanging out of the socket when I'd found it, and it was kinda   
like chewing gum, just with a little electrical tingle instead of a mint or some other kind of   
flavor.  
  
"Are you sure this has never happened to you before?" Joy asked again.  
  
"Yeah, Raichu sure. Why do Chu ask?"  
  
"You seem too...well adjusted...for this to be a first time thing. I mean, if I were you,  
I'd be going crazy, thinking I was some kind of monster. You don't look even the least bit   
scared about everything."  
  
"I dunno." I said with a shrug. "I understand Raichu Chu saying, and yeah, I'm a little   
freaked Chu Rai, but...right now, Chu know this happened, and I'm going Rai have to deal with it.  
Besides, this is Raichu kind of cool, in a weird way."  
  
"How do you figure that?"  
  
"Rai...check out this tail." I held my tail gently, not wanting to hurt myself. " I can't  
control it well yet, but it's almost as long Chu I am tall, Raichu it's strong. If I can Chu to   
control it, imagine what Rai could do with it."  
  
"Aren't you worried someone will step on it and hurt you again?"  
  
"Trust me, I don't plan Rai out in public Chu this." I assured her. "And check Chu out!"   
I pointed out my index fingers a few inches from each other and concentrated. After a few seconds,   
a small bolt of electricity connected my fingers. All I felt was a tingle.  
  
"That's amazing!" Joy gasped.  
  
"And about all Rai can do." I said, cutting my concentration and causing the bolt to   
disappear. "I can't do anything beyond Chu yet."  
  
"Can you change back to human?"  
  
I shook my head. "Not as far Rai know. There's Raichu lot of Raichu possibility, though."  
  
"Attention residents of Viridian City!"   
  
"Yeow!" I covered my ears as best as possible to block out the loud noise of the   
loudspeakers posted throughout the city.  
  
"Please go nowhere near the Pokémon Center! We have reason to believe some...creature...  
has made his way into the Center and is holding hostages! As of now, we have sharpshooters with   
puddy guns and multiple rock and ground-type Pokémon surrounding the Center, as we believe this   
creature is a Raichu-human mix of some sort! We don't know what it is capable of, but we all   
remember the Pikachu incident a few months ago..."  
  
"Pikachu incident?" I asked, still trying to cover my ears.  
  
"It's a long story..." Joy said quickly. "the entire Center was almost turned into a   
blackened shell of a building."  
  
"...anyway, if the creature is listening, if you've hurt anyone in that Center, we will   
charge you with everything we can. Don't forget your attempted assault on that woman and her   
child before!"  
  
"Attempted assault?!" Joy gasped.  
  
"I took a step in Raichu direction when I was looking Chu city map. I didn't even know   
Rai changing when it happened!"  
  
"Dan Gotem, we will be coming for you in five minutes! Escape is pointless!"  
  
We sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, I got up and headed for the main doors.  
  
"What are you doing?" Joy asked, grabbing my arm to keep me from leaving. "Are you crazy?"  
  
"What choice do Rai have? Rai can't get out, I can't hide, Chu don't want you to get   
yourself in trouble for helping me. This Rai for the best!"  
  
"But...your Bulbasaur! Your family!"  
  
"I'll see my family again, and Rai the cops ask, I came Chu here with my pack, my Pokédex  
Raichu wild Bulbasaur I hurt myself. Give him Rai good trainer for me." I broke away from her   
and opened the doors.  
  
Thirteen various Pokémon and an infinite amount of police with various weapons focused   
their attention on me.  
  
"Freeze!" One of the cops yelled. I gently put my hands into the air.  
  
"It's O.K. I surrender."  



	2. Hard Time

Chp.2- Hard Time  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
I was hoping with my peaceful surrender, I'd be treated like I was semi-human, which I am.  
No such luck, as the rubber-coated handcuffs pinched at my fur and I was shoved into the back   
of a transport that looked like it was from the mental hospital. I was immeadtitly hauled to the   
police station, where I was tossed into a cell that hadn't been cleaned in at least a week.  
  
I sat on the flat board that passed as a bed for most of the time. At one point, I was   
told by an officer that my bail was set at $25,000, even though I hadn't set one furry foot in   
anything that looked like a courthouse.  
  
"Don't Rai have to go to Chu court to have bail set?" I asked. He snorted and walked   
away. None of the officers spoke to me, other than to yell at me to stop pacing in the cell. I was  
just pondering if I had a chance at racial discrimination and police burtality suits(also   
considering I found a lawyer who'd actually represent me.) when the cell was opened.  
  
"Make your phone call." the officer ordered. He wore rubber gloves as he led me to the  
phone.  
  
"Rai couldn't even get Chu VidPhone?" I got an angry glare, so I quickly turned my  
attention to the black rotoray phone.   
  
I started to spin the dial for my parents number when a thought occured to me. They   
would be crushed if they saw me in jail looking like this. I couldn't do that to them. After a  
moment, I spun the dial for the only other person I could trust.  
  
BRING!! BRING!!  
  
"Hello, Professer Oak's Lab."  
  
"Hello, Professer. It's Dan."  
  
"Oh, Dan, hello! How are you doing?"  
  
"Not well. Listen, could Chu do me a huge favor and come Rai to the Viridian City P.D.?"  
  
"Are you O.K.?" he asked, sounding confused. "I almost swear I heard talking a little  
like a Raichu, and I can't get a video link..."  
  
"This isn't Rai VidPhone." I informed him. "Look, just come to Chu Viridian police  
station and Raichu 25 grand for bail, please?"  
  
"Bail? You're in jail?!"  
  
"Yes, but it's not Rai you think! Just don't tell my folks, O.K?"  
  
"I don't kn..."  
  
BZZZZZZZZZ...  
  
"Hey, Chu cut me off!" The officer took the reciever from my hand and put it back on the  
rack, then led me back to my cell. He slammed the door so fast he caught the tip of my tail in  
the door. That hurts! I yanked it out and rubbed the sore spot, really not happy with local law   
enforcement at the moment.  
  
Don't ask me how, but I dozed off on the board for a little while after that, and awoke   
to the feeling of being poked in the side with a broom handle. Prof.Oak was at the cell door,  
looking rather calm.  
  
"Professer..." I asked as the officer who was poking me left. "How long have Chu been  
here?"  
  
"About half an hour." That explained why he looked so calm, he at least had some time to  
adjust to this. "They questioned me very fiercely about you and what I knew. When I saw you like  
that, I didn't know what to say!"  
  
"Don't worry." I assured him. "Did you bring my bail?"  
  
"No..." When he saw the look I gave him, he quickly explained. "I thought I could just  
explain to them they were mistaken. Unfortunetly, they seem intent on keeping you here."  
  
"Great..."  
  
"Don't worry. I'm going to run to the bank and get the money. This could be the   
discovery of a lifetime!...and I concerned about your health too, of course..."  
  
"Of course." I was a little hurt, but I could understand his position, being a scientist   
and all. "Come on, get going before my DNA gets unstable!"  
  
"What? Ah, clever..." Hey, someone who actually gets jokes the first time around, even if  
it takes a moment. A rarier find than myself! Prof.Oak quickly left. I sighed and waited for him  
to come back.  
  
Not two minutes later, I heard some odd noises coming from one of the vents. I cranked  
up my hearing a little bit to hear what it was. Sounded like something was moving through the  
vents, something metal.  
  
"Hey, there's something..." I never got a chance to finish as a blue gas started to pour  
out of the vent and all over the station. Any experienced trainer could tell with one look that  
it was Sleep Powder. It only took me a whiff of the stuff before I was in dreamland.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
You, wake up.  
  
I moaned in response. I wanted to sleep...  
  
I said wake up!  
  
A voice in my head. It was meaningless.  
  
You resist me? There was a moment's pause, then something large but soft whacked me in  
the face.  
  
"Hey!" Now I was fully awake. Something was stuck in the fur of my face, and I tried to  
to brush it off wih my hands, but found I couldn't. My hands were bound at the wrists to a wall  
with leather straps, as were my ankles.  
  
"Oh Chu..." Waking up in strange places was starting to become a bad haibit. It was so  
dark, I couldn't see a thing. I could, however, hear breathing besides my own. Someone...or   
something...was in here with me.  
  
Next time, do not resist me. Whatever was in here was speaking, but not with a voice,  
or at least not a spoken voice. It was more it was speaking directly to my brain...telepathy?  
  
Man, this thing needs some help with being friendly, I thought.  
  
I do not appriciate being insulted! What?! How'd it know what I thought? I didn't have  
much time to ponder this, as I became surrounded by a blue glow. At first, there was nothing.  
Then...  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"  
  
I was racked with huge amounts of pain, pain I'd never experienced before. Air was   
forced out of my lungs, and I swear I felt my heart stop. It was like I was being torn in half!  
  
"O.K.! Rai sorry!" I pleaded. "Please, stop!"   
  
That is better. The glow slowly faded away, the pain going with it. I advise you  
watch what you say or think. There is nothing you can hide from me.  
  
"Thanks..." I gasped, still recovering from the burtal assualt. "Is it safe Chu say that  
you're psychic?"  
  
Yes it is.  
  
"Now, now, you two should learn to get along. You're going to be here a while."  
  
I still couldn't see anyone, but I heard an electrical cackle, like from an old intercom.  
This new voice was coming from it.  
  
"Who are Chu?" I yelled. "What do Chu want from me?"  
  
"Now, now, don't you remember me? I was the one who made you what you are."  
  
"What?" What was he talking about? I certainly didn't recongize his voice from anywhere.  
"Why did Chu bring me here?"  
  
"My poor Hybrid, don't you remember your Master? Your home?"  
  
"Master? Home? I'm Rai human!"  
  
"Have you looked at yourself lately? You are and always were my Hybrid, just like your  
little friend who escaped yesterday. I'm sure you've run into him..."  
  
This guy was nuts! My first order of buisness was getting away from here as soon as   
possible, where ever, "here", was. All I had to do was unstrap my hands and feet...oh...there's  
a problem...  
  
How much longer must I stay before I know my true purpose?  
  
"Hey, I'm..." I quickly recalled what happened the last time I said something wrong to   
this thing, and smartly decided to keep my mouth shut.  
  
"There is still much time left, Mewtwo. You must be patient..."  
  
I've been patient! For months, I've been patient. I want to know my true purpose!  
  
"You want to know your true purpose?!" the intercom voice yelled. "Your purpose is to  
serve me, like the purpose of all Poke'mon and Hybrids!"  
  
What?!  
  
"Serve you?!" I yelled. "If you think I'm lifting one Raichu finger to help you, you  
really Chu nuts!"  
  
"Quiet, the both of you! You kind were all created to serve me, whether you like that or  
not! Now remain silent until I call for you again!" With that, there was a click, then a kind of  
stunned silence.  
  
No...this can't be the reason for my creation... it sounded depressed.  
  
"Man, who Rai that guy?"  
  
His name is Giovanni. He is...was...supposed to be my partner. I fought battles, and he  
was supposed to help me find the purpose of my creation.  
  
"You say Chu were created, not born?"  
  
I was cloned from...but that is no longer important. It remained silent for a moment,   
then suddenly said, We are escaping this place.  
  
"Fine with me, but how? I'm stuck Raichu wall, and...I don't know about Chu, but I assume  
you're restrained Rai some way..."  
  
No. I'm in armor that was supposed to keep me still, but Giovanni has severly   
underestimated my power. I can escape this easily, and with my vast power, I can free a   
primiative creature such as yourself as well.  
  
"Thanks...Rai think."  
  
I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this to get back at Giovanni for what he has put  
me through.  
  
"Wait! Maybe you can..." I blinked, then I was floating off the ground above a street.  
I quickly was dropped onto the pavement, so hard it hurt my feet.  
  
"That wasn't fun..." I moaned and rubbed my feet. I looked around for landmarks. I'd been  
teleported right to the middle of Viridian City. There was a store, a couple of houses, the  
police station, a fire hou...police station?  
  
"There he is! Get him!"   
  
"Rai!" I bolted on all fours as...All fours? I'd already went about a hundred feet before  
it even occured to me I was using my hands as much as my feet to run.  
  
"O.K., this Chu getting really weird!" It just felt so natural, I didn't even realize I  
was doing it. My instincts just took over when I wasn't even thinking about it. Now that I realized  
what I was doing, I couldn't do it anymore.  
  
I scrambled to my feet and ran like I normally would. The police weren't as fast as I was  
on foot, (a plus for being half-Raichu) but then they started to get out the cars and   
motorcycles. There was no way to lose those!  
  
Hoping for the best, I dodged into an alley...a dead end alley.  
  
"Crud!" I spun back around to see the cars bearing down on me. In panic, I ran into the  
alley, diving into a trash bin for cover.  
  
Maybe they wouldn't find me, or so I hoped. The cops quickly stormed the alley looking  
for me. It was unavoidable, though. They'd have to look everywhere, and they'd look in the trash.  
My stomach started doing flips at the thought of what jail would be like for me, and the dark,  
stuffy trash bin enviorment didn't help either. It made me feel really small...hey, when did my   
clothes get so big?  
  
The lid on the bin was tossed open. I curled up into a ball, hoping by some miracle I'd  
be overlooked. There was a moment's pause, then...  
  
"Hey, there's nothing to be afraid of..." I felt soft gloves pick me up, my clothes   
falling away as I was.  
  
"Raichu, Rai Rai!" I yelled. I was pulled out without clothes, but nothing out of the   
ordinary could be seen. At least, nothing out of the ordinary for a Raichu. It took me a minute,  
but then I realized what happened.  
  
"Rai! Chu Raichu Raichu!" *Ah! I've gone totally Raichu now!* I uncurled and looked   
myself over. I was now a full-fledged Raichu, not one bit of humanity remaining, physically. I  
could still think like a human.  
  
"Sorry I scared you..." Officer Jenny set me on the ground, and I slowly walked away on  
all fours, still stunned at what had just happened.  
  
I walked out of the alley and searched around again. Man, the world looks so much   
different when your small! I couldn't even see over the top of a fire hydrant anymore. Still  
walking slowly, I walked around the now empty city, my escape probably having scared everyone  
to stay at home.  
  
"Raichu, Chu Rai..." *Man, even the park is empty...* The park...seeing all those trees,  
it made wish I was back in the woods. I could set up a nice little place by a stream to live,   
where I could get water and all the fruit I wanted. I'd be the toughest Poke'mon there, so I'd  
never be bothered, except for maybe the occasional trainer, but most of them wouldn't have a  
chance at catching me...  
  
Whoa! I gave myself a quick mental slap to snap out of my fantasy. I'd started thinking  
like a Raichu again without even realizing it. I needed to figure out how to get human again  
before I decided to find a mate or something!   
  
I took a seat and thought over my options. I could live out the rest of my life as a  
Raichu, but that wasn't high on my list. I could maybe go to Prof. Oak's...but that'd take too   
much time. In the end, I decided to head back to the Poke'mon Center. Maybe Joy figured out   
something to help, and I could get back to Bulbasaur.  
  
Taking a deep breath, I sighed and started walking again. This was going to take a while,  
especially since I had no clue where I was, and everything was so much bigger, it was hard to get  
my bearings. Luckily, there were few people out to bother me, and the few that were thought I was  
a trained Poke'mon out for a little stroll, so they left me alone.  
  
After about an hour, the Center was in sight. I started off toward it when..   
  
"Hey, A Raichu!" A little kid, probably about eight, ran over to me. I tried to run, but  
he threw out a Poke Ball right in front of me.   
  
"Sandslash!"  
  
"Rai!" My first instincts were to fight, except I had the type disadvantage again, and I  
couldn't shock it. Forget the fact I'd never actually battled before in my life, ( I got into a   
fight in third grade, but that doesn't count.) and that I'd never even been in a Poke'mon   
fight before. I ran as fast as my hands and feet would carry me, but Sandslash was right behind  
me. Twice it almost slashed my tail in two!  
  
"Raichu, Rai Rai Raichu Chu!" *How am I supposed to fight this thing!*   
  
"Sandslash, Posion Sting!"  
  
"Sand!" *O.K.!* I was in too much of a panic to think about it at the time, but I could  
actually understand what it was saying. I heard it say, "Sand!", but in my head, I heard it say  
*O.K.!*. Weird, really.  
  
I dove behind a trash can as the posionious needles came hurtling toward me. When they  
failed to penetrate the metal, Sandslash started to charge again, but I was ready. Just as it was  
about to slice through the metal, I pushed on the can with every ounce of strength my little body  
could muster. It tipped over and trapped Sandslash underneath it. While the boy pulled the can  
off his Poke'mon, I ran into another alley...another dead end alley.  
  
"Chu, Rai Raichu Raichu! *Come on, be good to me again, trash bin!* I leapt and caught   
the edge, manging to scramble in.  
  
"Chu..." *Whew...* At least everything was in bags. I buried myself between the bags,   
trying to hide even more. Even with my small body, it was a tight squeeze to stay between two of  
them, and something was jabbing my back. Fustrated, I turned around to move it, only to find a  
Poke Ball. It looked perfectly fine, and it wasn't broken. Made me wonder why someone threw it in   
here in the first place.  
  
After about five minutes of waiting, no one came. Thinking it was safe, I tossed out the  
Poke Ball and climbed out myself. Unintentionally, the Poke Ball enlarged itself, and, much to my  
surprise, it opened, and a Poke'mon came out of it.  
  
"Nidoran!" A male Nidoran, to be exact. It looked around, obviously confused.  
  
"Chu, Raichu?" I asked. *Hey, you O.K.?*  
  
"Nidoran...Nido Nido Ran?" *I'm fine...but where is my trainer?*  
  
"Rai? Raichu, Chu Rai Rai, Chu." *Trainer? I found your ball in there.* I pointed to the  
trash bin.  
  
"Nido...Nidoran Ran..." *No...I'd never thought he meant it...*  
  
"Rai, Raichu? Raichu?" *He who? Meant what?*  
  
"Nidoran. Nido Nido Ran Nidoran. Ran Ran Nido." he explained *My trainer. I'm new at   
battling. He said he get rid of me if I didn't do better.*  
  
"Rai..." *Oh...* That was harsh. Getting rid of a Poke'mon just because it wasn't a   
naturally born fighter? And throwing it in the trash? The SRAP would have been all over this guy!  
(For those who don't know, SRAP is short for the Society for the Rights of All Poke'mon.)  
  
"Raichu, Chu Raichu?" *Hey, why don't you come with me?*  
  
"Nidoran? Nido Nidoran Nido, Ran." *Go with you? You're a Poke'mon like me.*  
  
"Raichu, Rai Raichu Rai Chu Raichu!" Seeing the look I was getting, I sighed and shook my  
head. "Rai, Raichu Chu..." *No, I'm really a human who turned into a Raichu!* *It's a long  
story...*  
  
"Nidoran, Ran Nidoran Ran Nido. Nidoran Ran, Nido." *You're a little odd, but I guess I   
owe you that much. You got me out of that ball.*  
  
We started walking back in the direction of the Center. I explained to Nidoran exactly  
what had happened since I left home. He didn't seem to believe me, but he did say it would make  
a great story, despite a major plot gap.  
  
"Raichu Chu?" *What plot gap?*  
  
"Nidoran Nido Nido, Nido?" *You said that you were bitten by a Growlithe, right?*  
  
"Rai, Chu?" *Yeah, so?*  
  
"Ran, Nidoran Ran Nido Nidoran?" *Then why didn't you turn into a Growlithe?*  
  
"Raichu..." *Because...* I stopped and thought that over. He made a good point. If it was  
the Growlithe that bit me, why did I turn into a Raichu? It wasn't like a plot hole, but more   
like a mystery that would attract people to come back and learn what's really going on.(O.K., I  
gave that part away...)  
  
"Raichu." *Good point.* The Poke'mon Center came into sight, and I ran toward it, giving  
Nidoran a hard time keeping up with me.  
  
Somebody left the main doors open, which saved us the time of finding a way in. No one   
was in the main lobby again. Passing the kitchen, I saw it'd been cleaned up from my mess.   
Looking in the trainer room, I saw Chansey at work making the beds. Seeing us, she turned in our  
direction.  
  
"Chansey Chan, Chansey?" *Can I help you two?*  
  
"Nido, Nidoran." *I'm with him.*  
  
"Raichu, Chu Rai, Rai! Raichu, Raichu Chu? Raichu!" *Chansey, it's me, Dan! Remember the   
Raichu-boy? That was me!*  
  
"Chan! Chansey Sey?" *Dan! What happened to you?*  
  
"Raichu, Chu Rai Rai, Raichu!" *I turned into a Raichu, what does it look like!*  
  
"Chan, Chansey." *I see that.*  
  
"Nido...Nidoran, Nido Ran Ran?" *Wait...you mean he really is a human?*  
  
"Raichu!" *Told you!*  
  
"Chansey, Chan Chan." *Wait, let me get Joy.* Chansey went out into the hall and called   
for Joy. She came a few seconds later.  
  
"What is it...oh!" She knelt down to look at us all. "I see we have some new patients."  
  
"Chansey, Chan Sey! Sey Chan!" *Joy, it's Dan! He's back!*  
  
"Don't worry Chansey. I'll take care of them." Joy gently grabbed me and started to walk  
off with me.  
  
"Raichu!" *I'm not sick!* I squirmed out of her grip and ran over to my stuff. For some   
reason, the cops never took it, as it was still sitting on the bed where I left it. "Raichu, Rai  
Raichu Chu?!" *Geez, what's with everyone and trying to pick me up?!*  
  
"Come on, Raichu." Joy pleaded. "I've had a very rough day..."  
  
"Chu! Raichu Rai? Rai...Raichu Chu!" *You! What about me? Sigh...this is hard without  
speaking English!*  
  
"Chansey. Sey Chan Chan, Sey Chan!" *You're telling me. Twenty years, and she still   
doesn't understand a word I say!*  
  
I started pulling random things out of my pack, hoping to find something that I could use  
to show Joy who I was. Unfortunetly, my Poke'dex was still back at the police station.  
  
"Raichu, come here!" Joy lunged at me, forcing me to jump down from the bed and run out  
of the room, seeking refuge elsewhere. Chansey ran after me, as did Nidoran.  
  
"Chan, Chansey! Sey Sey Chan Chansey!" *Dan, your Bulbasaur! He should be able to help!*  
  
"Rai!" *Right!* I made a sharp left into the Poke Ball storage room, almost crashing into  
the wall in the process. Chansey pointed out Bulbasaur's ball, on too high of a shelf for any one   
of us to reach.  
  
"Now what are you doing?" Joy came in, heading immeaditly for me. Chansey moved herself   
between Joy and myself.  
  
"Chansey! Chan Chansey Chan Sey! Sey Chan Chan!" *Listen! This is Dan, not just a Raichu!  
You need to understand that!*  
  
"Chansey! Now what are you doing?"  
  
"CHANSEY!" *AGGGHHHH!*  
  
"Raichu Rai." *Let me try.* I stepped back to the rack of Poke Balls, pointing towards   
Bulbasaur's. Then I pointed at myself. I repeated this a few times, hoping she'd get there was a  
relation between us.  
  
I gotta say, Joy is terrible at understanding gestures. Guesses inculded: You're lost,  
you want to go in a ball, you're friends with a Bulbasaur, and you don't like balls. Finally, she  
gave up. Annoyed, I ran over to the computer, which had some kind of word processing program up.   
I jumped up on a chair, then to the desk and punched the delete button on the keyboard.  
  
"My work!" Joy cried. I ignored her and punched a few letters on the keyboard.  
  
IT'S ME, DAN!  
  
"Wha?..."  
  
THE RAICHU-HUMAN BOY FROM BEFORE!  
  
"Dan? That's you?" I nodded. She looked to be in shock. "But...how did this..."  
  
I shrugged as best as a Raichu can. I was about to type some more when I suddenly felt   
really weak. I jumped down from the desk, stumbled to the bedroom, and had Joy lift me up onto   
the bed. Crawling under the covers, I dozed off almost instantly.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Dan? Dan, wake up!"  
  
"Five Rai minutes..." I mumbled. I could feel someone gently rubbing my shoulder...wait,  
Raichu's don't have shoulders...  
  
"Dan, you're human again!...sort of..." I sat up and looked myself over. I was sort of  
happy to see I went back to my hybrid form, though I wanted to be human again.  
  
"How did...hey!" I realized a slight problem. The covers went about halfway down my  
stomach to my feet, with nothing else even close to clothing on me. "Can Rai get a little privacy  
here?"  
  
"Oh, sorry!" She blushed pink a little and left, closing the door behind her. I put on a   
pair of jeans and a shirt from my pack, though there was a small struggle getting my huge feet  
through the pants. In the end, I had to tear the bottom of my jeans so I could get them on.  
When I was clothed again, I went outside and found Joy waiting in the kitchen.  
  
"What a trip..." I muttered, sitting at the table with her. There were all sorts of snack  
foods set out on the table in front of me.  
  
"I'll bet...I figured you could use a little snack while you tell me what happened."  
  
"Thanks." I went over to where the loose wires were before and ripped one out of the   
wall. I explained what happened since my arrest, occasionally stopping to gnaw on the bare   
wire. It tasted good, but Joy gave me an odd look when I chewed on it. She's just jealous...  
  
"This just gets weirder Chu weirder..." I muttered when I finished telling my story.  
  
Joy nodded. "I sure don't understand it all." She paused for a moment, then asked, "What  
are you going to do?"  
  
"What else? Go around Rai continue training."  
  
"But your condition...don't you want to get help?  
  
"Of course, Rai think about it. If I stay, the cops Chu come after me again, and they   
probably sent police Chu Prof. Oak's as well, so Rai can't go there. Might as well keep moving."  
  
"O.K....but how do you plan on getting out of here? The police are all over town looking  
for you."  
  
"That, Rai don't know." I sighed. We sat in silence for a few minutes, excluding the  
sounds of my chewing on the wire. Really, it tastes great! Why doesn't anyone believe me?  
  
"I know!" Joy exclaimed so loudly I clutched at my ears again. "There's a man coming  
to drop off the latest supply of Poke'mon food. You could hide in the truck and get out when it   
makes a stop in the next town."  
  
"Sure...but won't he notice me?"  
  
"Probably not. No offense to the man, but he's as blind as a Zubat, and he refuses to   
wear his glasses. I doubt there will be much of a problem."  
  
After a few more gnaws, I started packing again, taking Bulbasaur and Nidoran with me.  
They were definitly confused by my condition, but they still respected me, and saw no real reason  
not to go with me.  
  
A few hours later, the truck pulled up to the Center. While Joy distracted him, I snuck  
into the truck and curled up behind stacks of food. A few minutes later, the back door slammed   
shut, and the truck started rolling.  
  
I sat back and thought about what had happened. With everything that had been happening,  
I didn't know what to expect next . At that moment, though, I just prayed the next stop wouldn't   
be my last...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. A Friend in a Sea of Rejection

Whoo! School's closed early, so I'm getting to work here. Anyone who liked the first two chapters  
will like this one as well. Also, for those who want to, I'm turning to my faithful readers for some   
help. E-mail me your ideas for future chapters, one per day per reader, please. My email service only   
holds so much! Also remember this is a PG rated story, so think about that when you send me your ideas.   
You will be credited for the help, and hey, if it gets popular, maybe you can forget about me and   
write your own stories!(You wouldn't leave me, though. Right? Right? PLEASE DON'T LEAVE!) Sorry...got   
a little carried away...  
  
Note: This story is set in a realitly where Ash doesn't exist, and you'll see why later.  
  
Discliamer is in Chp.1. Must not waste valuable time! Please review when you're done reading!  
  
  
  
Chp. 3- A friend in a sea of rejection.  
  
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"So, what do Chu think of this one?"  
  
Come on, with all that food around, you think I'm not gonna open a few boxes to eat? I  
let out Bulbasaur and Nidoran and fed them a few pieces, to see what they liked. Needless to say,  
I helped myself to some, trying to see what I'd like for myself. While they worked on dinners, I  
hit the desserts. Piece of advice for trainers; don't get your Poke'mon the Snickers food. They  
taste horrible, are like rocks to chew, and are so large I almost choked on one. Imagine what   
will happen with your Poke'mon if they try it!  
  
I just opened a box Resses Cups food and was about to chow down when...  
  
SKKKKKKRRRRRRRREEEEEEE...BAM!  
  
Food, Hybrid and Poke'mon alike were tossed around as the truck came to a sudden halt.  
I got buried under an onslaught of turkey dinner packages, and it took me some time to get out.  
Bulbasaur and I were a bit bruised, and Nidoran was clutching at his buck teeth, probably sore,   
but there were no serious injuries.  
  
I recalled my Poke'mon and opened the back door, hopping down onto the dirt road. The  
driver was out of the truck, yelling furiously at what he'd crashed into, not that it could   
yell back.  
  
"That guy really Raichu glasses..." I muttered, letting him go about his swearing at the   
tree. After getting deep into the trees a bit, I looked around for any sign of where I was.  
I could see Mt. Moon in the direction we'd come, so I wasn't in Viridian Forest. Consulting my   
map, I determined we'd driven past Pewter City and now was about 50 miles outside of Cerulan   
City.  
  
"Raichu..." Looked like I had some walking ahead of me, and walk I did for about a week.  
Not only was I unable to travel along any well known route for fear of being seen, but I also  
had to travel at night to avoid being seen by trainers who looked deep in the woods for Poke'mon.  
That wouldn't have been so bad, except for one thing. Watching them catch all the good Poke'mon  
wasn't fun. Any wild Poke'mon fled upon seeing me, not that they could be blamed.  
  
It wasn't all bad, I guess. I did get to spend most of my time working one-on-one with my   
Poke'mon, and in the meantime, I practiced with my own powers. I was constantly trying to use   
electricity, in hopes of improving my voltage and range, and I started to learn how to use my  
sensitive ears and nose to my advantage. It's great as a warning for coming people.  
  
Believe it or not, I also learned how to become human again. The fourth night on the   
road, I started getting homesick, and tried to remember what it was like being with family. When   
I pictured myself as a human my mind, I slowly turned back to human. I was going nuts with   
happiness...for about 5 minutes. After that, my Raichu features came back, and all the energy   
had just been sucked out of my body, leaving me exhausted and depressed. I tried being human   
again, but nothing happened. After I rested several hours, I could hold my human shape for a   
little longer, but again I slipped back to hybrid form, and again I was wiped out. It's not   
perfect, but it's better than nothing. At least I can go shopping and be around humans for short   
periods of time.  
  
Anyway, after a week of walking, I'd reached the outskirts of Cerulan City. Tired of   
camping out and being unable to eat anything decent in a few days, I shifted to human, bolted for  
the nearest inn and quickly got a room. Looking back, it was a pretty dumb thing to do,   
especially with a new employee working the main desk. I'd improved the time in which I can stay   
human to a little under ten minutes, but thanks to the slow employee, my ears were at full length   
and my fur had half regrown by the time I got into the room.  
  
I pretty much lived in that room for a few days, though I did occasioanly leave to get a   
few things or spend some time training myself and my Poke'mon. I knew I couldn't be a good   
trainer and have good Poke'mon if I didn't battle a real trainer, and many times I pondered  
getting into Cerulan Gym and battling Misty for a badge, but I could never summon up the courage  
to take the risk. I suppose I could just give up training, but I waited years to do this, and I   
wasn't going to let a little problem like being rejected by a majority of the world's population  
keep me from it.  
  
Finally, after five days of waiting, I managed to get enough courage to at least try to   
find an alternative way into the gym, to avoid having to race around tons of people in a small   
period of time just to get in. I left at night for maximum cover, and I took Bulbasaur and   
Nidoran with me, in case I got in trouble.  
  
Upon reaching the gym, I checked every window for a way in. They were all locked tight.  
There was no way I was going in through the main doors, even on the tiny chance they might be  
open. However, there was a ladder up the side of the building that led to the roof. Maybe I could  
find a way up there.  
  
It was a little tricky trying to climb the ladder with my huge feet, but I made it up  
without a problem. There was a door up there that probably led to the main area.  
  
"Finally..." I started to walk over, but never made it that far.  
  
Creeee...  
  
The vent covers I walked over looked old and rusty, and, much too late, I realized they  
wouldn't hold my weight. The cover fell, and I fell with it.  
  
"Rai!" I spread my arms and legs against the walls to slow my fall. I still landed hard,   
but at least I survived. I crawled around in the vents for a while, but the clhorine was killing   
me and my super-sensitive nose. If I didn't get out of there soon, I'd probably choke to death.  
Finally, I kicked off a nearby vent cover and crawled through.  
  
I don't know what suprised me more, the vast size of the pool, or the fact that someone  
was actually there so late. Someone was up on the high dive board, ready to jump. Whoever was up  
there, I couldn't tell, but it looked like they were wearing one of the fancy dresses that looked  
like it was from a Goldeen, so I figured(and hoped) it was a girl. Again, it was hard to tell   
with the distance, but the dress looked different than most of it's kind. I was about to bolt for  
the nearest exit when the person spotted me midway through their dive.   
  
"What the...ah!" Now I was sure it was a girl, judging from the voice. She tried to halt  
her dive, but failed and headed right for the water. I was sure she was about to land face first,  
but she managed to get herself straightened out and land the nicest dive I've ever seen.  
  
I rushed to the side of the water to see if she was O.K. It did cross my mind to run,  
but I was raised in a house where I was taught not to ignore someone who might be in serious  
trouble. Besides, after that, I figured I at least owed her an explianation to why I was there,  
and to try and convince her not to call the cops on my furry hide. She seemed alright as she swam  
to the side of the pool. That made me feel a little better.   
  
"I'm Rai sorry about that," I apoligzed, giving a hand to help her out. I realized it was  
Misty Waterflower, the gym leader. My chances on getting in her good graces were probably shot   
now. "Rai didn't mean to scare Chu."  
  
"It's alright," she assured me, taking my hand and climbing out. Odd...the gloves didn't  
feel like any material I'd felt before. It was more like bare skin, but yet still different...   
"I just never expected to ever see someone else like me."  
  
"Someone else like Chu? What do...oh..." It took a few seconds to realize what she meant,  
but when I did, it hit like a brick wall. It was Misty Waterflower, alright, but not the way you  
know her best.  
  
Here's the best way to explain this; imagine, in your head, Misty in a regular Goldden  
dress. Now, imagine the skirt portion so long it drags on the floor, and it occasionaly flicks up  
at the edges by no visible action on her part. O.K., then keep the rest of the dress the same,  
but remove the little jewel in the chest area. Where her body and arms are bare, imagine instead   
a fin-like material colored like a Goldden's fins, which stops at the neck. It's somewhat  
transparent, unlike the skirt, which is opaque.(non-transparent) Now, add the rest of her,  
making sure to give her green eyes and adding a three inch horn coming out of her head, and you  
pretty much have what I saw.  
  
Whoa, I thought, trying my best not to gawk at her. She just laughed a little and threw   
back her hair, sending a stream of water back into the pool.  
  
"Sorry, but I'm intrested in dating at the moment."  
  
"Rai? Oh, no!" I turned a little red, but it was impossible to tell under the fur. " Rai  
just thought I was the only Chu who was like...well, this." I grabbed a little piece of fur from my   
hand and pulled up to show her what I meant.  
  
"That's O.K." She motioned toward a side door. "We should talk in there."  
  
"Sure." I followed the Goldeen-girl gym leader to an office of some sort. There was a   
sofa, a desk loaded with all sorts of papers in neat stacks, and a giant refrigerator in one   
corner that could probably hold enough food for a meal that an entire small country couldn't eat  
in one sitting.  
  
"I'm sure we have a lot of questions for each other," Misty said, taking a seat on the  
sofa, "but do you mind if I ask what you were doing crawling around in the vents?"  
  
"Oh, that..." I explained to her my intentions, and what had happened on the roof.   
Unlike anyone else I spoke to, she seemed unbothered by my tendency to say "Raichu" or parts of  
it. She nodded at the appropriate times, and at the end, understood I wasn't trying to steal or  
damage anything.  
  
"Don't worry. I had the same problems when I started looking a little fishy..."  
  
"Breaking and entering your own gym?" I asked, ignoring the bad pun.  
  
"...no! I mean getting in and out without anyone seeing me. Didn't you find the hallow  
wall in the back?" Seeing the puzzled look on my face, she explained. " There's a part of the   
wall back there that just wood instead of stone, like the rest of the gym. You can push on it,  
and it'll open just like a door."  
  
"Oh..." I felt a little stupid, having wasted all that time looking for a window. " Rai  
didn't think to look for Raichu."  
  
"No one ever does." She got up and went over to the refrigerator, digging something out  
from it. "So, still new at this, I see?"  
  
"Yeah...but Raichu you..."  
  
"You're talking a little like you're a Poke'mon. I did that alot when it first happened to  
me. It still happens sometimes, but not a Goldeen anymore." She giggled a little. "See what I   
mean?"  
  
"Rai. How'd Chu learn to control it?"  
  
"Practice, really." She held up a bottle of spring water. "You want some? It's all I   
got."  
  
"Thanks." She tossed it over and pulled one out for herself, then shut the door and  
took a seat on the sofa again.   
  
"So, how'd it happen to you...um..."  
  
"Dan." I sighed and shook my head. " The best Rai can tell, it was a rabid Growlithe  
bite on Chu hand. A few hours later, this. What about Chu?"  
  
"Wow...it happened to someone else, too..."  
  
"What?! Chu mean you got bit too?"  
  
"No, not bit. Stung. A Beedrill got in here somehow and stung me in the arm. It was fine  
later, but then I started changing."  
  
"A Beedrill? Then why did Chu turn into Rai Goldeen Hybrid?"  
  
She paused for a moment before responding. "That's what I don't get. If we both got hurt   
by Poke'mon, and then we changed, why did we change into a mix of human and a totally different   
Poke'mon?"  
  
"Raichu don't know. People get hurt Chu Poke'mon everyday, though. Why are these two  
the only Rai changing..." a thought occured to me. "Wait...the Beedrill, did Rai look different  
from a normal Beedrill?"  
  
"Different?" She thought back for a moment. "Goldeen...now that you mention it, it was  
different. There was some weird pink stuff all over it's stingers...and when it hit me, some of  
it got on my skin. I passed out, but when I came to, it was gone, and my sisters were away, so   
they couldn't have cleaned it off."  
  
O.K., this was too much alike! There was no way this was normal in any sense of the word.  
I get attacked by a Growlithe, and turn into a Raichu Hybrid. Misty gets attacked by a Beedrill,  
and turns into a Goldden Hybrid. What the...wait a minute...  
  
"I just thought of something else!"  
  
"What?" Misty asked.  
  
"Rai lived in Pallet. There aren't Chu wild Growlithe's anywhere near there. Beedrills  
hate Raichu enviorment, so they don't hang out here. So now we Rai two Poke'mon attacks   
that turned people Raichu Hybrids, by two different Poke'mon that don't live in Raichu areas. On  
top of that, we didn't even turn into Chu Hybrids of the Poke'mon we were hurt by."  
  
"You're right." Misty shivered with creepiness. "This is way too weird..."  
  
We sat in silence for a moment, nethier of us really sure what to make of all this. This  
was some serious stuff we were dealing with here. Eventually, I just had to break the silence.  
  
"So, how long did Chu say Raichu a Hybrid?"  
  
"About two years. It was almost impossible to hide from my sisters and the public.   
Remember a long time ago, the papers all said I was traveling with some Ash Ketchum kid while he  
went to get badges?" She shook her head. "That was a cover. I spent that time practicing my  
abilites out in the ocean."  
  
I recalled reading that story a while ago. It shocked a lot of people that she would just  
take off like that, but I guessed she just wanted to get away from all the work for a while. I  
didn't know how close I was!  
  
"And when Chu came back, everyone was none Rai wiser."   
  
She nodded. "Yes. A few months later, when I could stay human for a few hours, I came back  
to work here. Since then, I've learned to time my apperances so I don't get caught like this."  
  
"Rai..." I took a sip from my water bottle, then continued. "Did Chu ever have any weird  
things happen, like going on twenty-minute binges or turning into a Goldeen completly?"  
  
"I've never binged, but I did turn into a Goldeen more than a few times. It's weird,  
though. When I do turn into a Goldeen, it was never intentional. It was always when I was   
about to be seen by someone or some other kind of emergency, like once, when I needed to surface  
for air around a bunch of fishing boats." She shivered for a moment. "One of those guys got me  
in his net when that happened. I was just lucky he tossed me back."  
  
"That could stink." I admitted. "Rai over-eating, though?"  
  
"No...but you should check that refrigerator." I went over to it and opened the door.  
Every shelf, save one, was stocked full with bottled spring water. "I get thirsty a lot if I   
can't swim."  
  
"Rai see that." It occured to me how calmly we were talking about all this stuff. Odd,  
really.  
  
"Hey, I have an idea. Do you have your Poke'mon with you?"  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"Let's battle then. We'll use two Poke'mon each, and if you win, I'll give you the   
Cascade Badge."  
  
"O.K., but are Chu sure you're ready for Rai?"  
  
"No offense, Dan, but I've been doing this since I was born. I think I can handle you."  
  
We went out to the pool, and I helped set up the mats for my Poke'mon to stand on. When  
they were all out, Misty swam over to one end of the pool.  
  
"You better not use any electricity, or you forfiet the match!" She informed me.  
  
"Rai, you don't trust me?" I asked innocently. I hopped out to a mat and thought about  
my battle plan. It was pretty obvious, though, that I should take the type advantage with   
Bulbasaur.  
  
"Staryu, I choose you!"  
  
"Star!"  
  
"Bulbasaur, I choose you!"  
  
"Bulbasaur!"  
  
"Staryu, Swift Attack!" Tiny stars shot from Staryu's red gem toward Bulbasaur.   
  
"Dodge it!" Bulbasaur leapt from mat to mat, but Staryu just changed its aim and followed  
him. Misty and I both had to jump to avoid being hit ourselves!  
  
"Stun Spore!" Bulbasaur's bulb released a yellowish powder that floated toward Staryu.  
I could see Staryu start to tense up as the spores took their paraylizing hold.  
  
"Dive underwater, Staryu!" It did as ordered, and reappeared a moment later, perfectly   
fine.  
  
"Raichu!" Powders and Spores weren't going to work if Staryu could just wash it off. I   
needed a new plan of attack.  
  
"Staryu, Spinning Tackle!"  
  
"Star!" It floated in the air like a propeller, moving fast toward Bulbasaur, too fast.  
Bulbasaur was hit and knocked back, almost slipping into the water. That would've been a problem,  
considering Bulbasaur wasn't built to swim.  
  
"Remember, you have to consider your battle ground as well as your Pokemon's types!"   
Misty advised.   
  
"Really...Bulbasaur, knock it down with Vine Whip!" Bulbasaur recovered and sent his vines  
forth, hitting Staryu and knocking it down to the mat. "Wrap it up!"  
  
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur quickly wrapped up the star Poke'mon. Misty seemed like she planned   
this, but that was O.K. I was ready too.  
  
"Staryu, spin and pull it toward you!"   
  
"Bulbasaur, throw it!"  
  
Just as I planned, Bulbasaur threw Staryu just as it started to spin. The end result was  
Staryu lodging itself into the far wall. It went stiff for a moment, then limp. It was out of   
this fight.  
  
"Staryu, return!" Misty recalled Staryu and pulled out a new ball. "Lucky move..."  
  
"Luck inde..." Something beeped, not loudly enough for a normal person to hear, but high  
enough in pitch to catch my attention.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I heard something...it sounded like it was Raichu the roof."  
  
"I didn't hear anything."  
  
"You're ears aren't Rai good as mine." We waited a few more seconds, but there was   
nothing else. I was just about to think it was nothing important when...  
  
BOOM!  
  
The entire roof just exploded above our heads! I leapt back to the side of the pool,   
frantically trying to find a place to take shelter.  
  
"What's happe...ah!" A giant ball of some clear material plunged through the roof right   
over Misty's head. Just as it was about to slam down on her head, the bottom opened up, encasing  
her in the sphere.   
  
"Misty!" The sphere closed underneath her, trapping her inside. She beat on it with her  
fist and yelled something, but nothing I could hear.  
  
"Bulba!" I turned in time to see Bulbasaur get buried under a pile of roof pieces.   
  
"Bulba...ow!" A chunk of the roof hit me square on the head, knocking me out cold.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Bul...ba...saur..."  
  
I moved a little and moved some of the derbis burying me. A little longer and I was free.  
  
"Bulbasaur?" *What happened?* The entire gym roof was just gone, now in pieces in the   
pool and ground. Misty was no where in sight, and Dan...Dan! I rushed to my fallen trainer,   
nudging him with my head. He was breathing, but he wasn't responding. I went to his belt and   
opened Nidoran's ball with my paw. He materialized a few seconds later.  
  
"Nido, Nidoran Ran Ran?" he asked, looking around at the damage. *What happened here?*  
  
"Bulbasaur Bulb, Bulba Saur! Saur Bulbasaur Saur Bulb!" *Don't worry about that! Look at  
our trainer!*  
  
"Rai..." Dan moaned and started to move.   
  
"Nido, Nidoran?" *Are you O.K.?*  
  
"Raichu...Rai, Raichu?" he said, sitting up. *I think so...what happened?*  
  
"Bulba?" *What?* He didn't remember? Must have been the hit to the head... "Bulbasaur,   
Bulba, Bulba. Saur Bulb?" *You were about to win yourself a badge. Don't you remember?*  
  
"Raichu? Raichu Chu. Chu Rai Rai!" *Win a badge? Don't be silly. Poke'mon can't win   
badges!"  
  
"Nidoran! Nido Nidoran Ran Nido!" *We know! You were about to win a badge!*  
  
"Raichu Rai. Rai Rai, Chu Raichu!" *You don't get it. Poke'mon can't win badges, especially   
not wild ones!*  
  
"Bulbasaur, Bulbasaur..." *What are you talking about...* A dreadful thought just dawned  
on me. "Bulba...Bulbasaur Bulba Bulb?" *Wait...you think you're a wild Poke'mon?*  
  
"Chu, Raichu. Raichu!" * I don't just think it. I know it!*  
  
"Nido..." *Uh-oh...*  
  
"Bulba, Saur Bulb..." *Houston, we have a problem...* 


	4. Role Reversal

Disclaimer is in Chp.1   
  
Most will probably realize this at the begininng, but for those who don't, this Chapter is told  
from Bulbasaur's POV. Also, to save myself and you some time, I'm not going to be writing what  
the Poke'mon are actually saying, just the translation. That'll probably be only for this   
chapter, though. If it's in stars, that's a translation for Poke'mon speech. Otherwise, it's   
normal speech.  
  
  
Chp.4 Role reversal.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
*What makes you think you're a Poke'mon?*  
  
*Well, I'm covered in fur, I have a tail and I've never been human. Why wouldn't I be a   
Poke'mon?!*  
  
*You have been human, Dan! Don't you remember?* I asked.  
  
*Dan? My name's Pikachu.*  
  
*Pikachu?* What the heck... *But you're a Raichu Hybrid...*  
  
*Raichu Hybrid?* He looked oddly at me. *What's that?*  
  
*You, dummy!* Nidoran pointed out.  
  
*Don't call me dumb. That's not nice...*  
  
*Well, have you looked at yourself lately?*  
  
*What do...* That's when he noticed his hands. He looked in shock at them for a few   
seconds, then ran to the side of the pool to look at his face. *No...no...NO!*  
  
*What's wrong?* I asked.  
  
*Everything!* He curled up into a ball, almost like he was trying to hide from himself.  
*Mommy...Daddy...where are you?*  
  
*Oh no...* This was worse than I thought.  
  
*What's wrong with him?* Nidoran asked.  
  
*I don't know...it's like the mature trainer we once knew is now a shell of his former   
self.* I heard a sniff, then another. It sounded like he was...crying?  
  
*This is not right...*  
  
*Thanks for that brilliant insight.* I muttered. *Should we try talking to him?*  
  
*He doesn't understand us, remember?*  
  
*Hello! He's understood every word we said so far. I don't get it, but it seems like he  
suddenly gets everything we say, even though not a few hours ago, he barely understood a word we  
said.*  
  
*Oh, yeah...* I felt like I was about to pop a vein. Nidoran obviously wasn't the   
brightest bulb in the box.  
  
I walked over to my trainer, trying to figure out the best way to talk to him. Then   
again, how do you talk to a half-human, half-Raichu creature who thinks he's a Pikachu?  
  
*Dan? Dan?* I thought about that for a moment, then tried again. *Raichu?*   
  
*Sniff...yeah?...sniff*  
  
*I'm not sure what's going on, but why don't you come with me, and we can go look for   
your parents. How does that sound?*  
  
*I shouldn't go with strangers. Mom and Dad said not to go with anyone I didn't know.  
Besides, you might be the one who wants to take me away.*  
  
*You're the strangest of us all, kid...*  
  
*Nidoran!* I yelled. Turning back to Dan, I asked, *Why would I want to take you away?*  
  
*I don't know. My parents were always talking about someone taking me away from them, and  
I don't want to leave them.*  
  
*When did they talk about this?*  
  
*Every night, for the past few weeks. They thought I was asleep, but I was never tired,  
so I stayed up and listened to them.*  
  
*Really...* I glanced at Nidoran for help. He gave me a, "Like I have any clue what he's  
talking about?" look.  
  
*Don't worry, I don't want to take you away. I just want to help you, that's all.*  
  
*What about him?*  
  
*Nidoran? He couldn't hurt a Caterpie, even with the type advantage.*  
  
*Hey! I resent that!*  
  
*Shh!* I hushed. *So what'd you say?*  
  
Dan sniffed a few more times, sat up and straightened out his appearence. He had been   
crying, judging by the way some of his face fur was matted down, though he tried to cover it up.  
  
*I...guess I should go with you. I don't even know where I am. How can I find my parents  
if I'm lost myself?*  
  
*O.K. Let's get out of here before the cops come.* We ran out of the gym and into the   
forest just as the police pulled up. Dan followed us out on all fours, which was a bit odd to   
watch, but now wasn't exactly the time to complain.  
  
*Now what?* Dan asked.   
  
*We need to find Misty. Maybe she knows how to...find your parents.*  
  
*Misty? Who's she?*  
  
*She's the gym leader.*  
  
*Is she a friend? I can't really remember much about my friends...*  
  
*Yeah...she's a friend of yours.* Nidoran assured him.   
  
That was great, but how to find her was the question. I couldn't see any sort of tracks  
on the ground, and my sense of smell stinks, as does Nidoran's. Maybe Dan could try, but he   
wouldn't know what to look for in his current mental state. What got me was how their couldn't be  
any tracks on the ground...unless whatever grabbed Misty telported. That was all I needed...  
  
*There's a hole in the tree...*  
  
*What?*  
  
*The trees. There are holes in them...*  
  
I was about to dismiss this as babbling when I looked up myself. There wasn't holes in  
the trees, but there were a lot of broken branches, which, when combined with other trees with  
the same problem, looked like something had made a perfectly round hole in the trees. Round...  
like a sphere! It wasn't much, but it was all we had to go on.   
  
We followed the giant holes deep into the woods. I wondered what could've made these  
holes, and what wanted Misty so badly, yet at the same time, passed over my trainer.  
  
*Bulbasaur,* Nidoran walked close to me so we could whisper and not be heard by Dan.  
*What are we going to do if we can't fix...well...* He looked back at Dan, pityingly.  
  
*Don't worry about it. We'll help him.*  
  
*Yeah, but say we don't. What do we do with him, or ourselves?*  
  
*Look, it's not going to happen, so don't think about it!* I didn't mean to yell. It's   
just I knew what he meant, and I didn't want to think of the possibiltes if we didn't help Dan.  
What would happen to him? Sure, maybe he could act like a regular Poke'mon, but it'd be   
impossible for him to live like one. If anything, he'd probably be turned in to some science lab,  
or locked in some nuthouse with people who have real problems. He didn't deserve that.  
  
We continued to follow the holes, though something else bothered me. Despite all the   
broken branches, there were none actually on the ground. It was like something swept them all   
up, but there were no tracks, footprint or otherwise. I shivered at the creepiness of the   
situation. We couldn't turn back now, though I did feel the urge to more than a few times.  
  
The holes stopped near a secluded little building deep in the forest. I wondered what a  
building would be doing back here, but since the trail stopped here, it had to be more than the   
little one story building it looked to be. There was a pole on the roof that I could Vine Whip   
to, but there seemed to be no other way in.  
  
*You two stay here. I'm gonna check this out.*  
  
*Why do I have to stay? Because I'm too young?* Dan huffed.  
  
*Too young? You're older than me...*  
  
*No I'm not. You're at least 6 years old. I'm about a half year old.*  
  
*A half year?* He thought he was a baby? That would explain his earlier reactions...but   
how? Must be a human or Hybrid thing that happens when they get hit in the head. I don't know  
that much about humans, so I can't say for sure.   
  
*No, Da...Raichu,* Nidoran corrected himself, *Bulbasaur's the only one who can get in.  
It doesn't have anything to do with age.*  
  
*O.K....* he still sounded annoyed.  
  
*Nidoran, watch him and make sure he doesn't do anything to get in trouble.*  
  
*Sure.* I sent out my vines and wrapped them around the pole, then pulled myself up to   
it. Unfortunetly, I went a little too fast and ended up smashing my face against the pole.  
  
After muttering some choice words, I opened a door on the roof with my vines and climbed  
down the stairs to the first floor. It looked like a normal hallway; gray walls, cheap carpet,  
couple of wooden doors, didn't seem like anything odd. Curious, I nudged open the closest door  
and peered inside.  
  
"Hybrid experiment #04123 is responding normally to the new serum."  
  
I ran under the closest thing to me, a table, and looked around. I could see a whole  
bunch of tables loaded with test tubes, burners and other sciency stuff. There were a bunch of  
men and women in white lab coats walking around, some with clipboards in their hands. The two  
closest to me were talking about something.  
  
"It is? Good, we can't afford anymore screw-ups. You remember how bad Giovanni went after  
us when we lost all those Hybrids so long ago."  
  
"I wish I could forget." One of them shuddered. "I still don't know what happened to that  
fool who suggested that if he'd bought the unbreakable glass, none of this would've happened."  
  
"Rumor is he's locked down in one of the dungeons, and can never leave. He was lucky,  
too. Giovanni was in a good mood when he punished him."  
  
"I'd hate to get on his bad side...but enough of this. You must see the progress of our  
latest Hybrid..."  
  
"I will, but I have to check on our latest recapture. To think, she was the Gym Leader   
all these years."  
  
Gym Leader? He must've meant Misty! I followed the man who was going to check on Misty  
out the door and far down the hall into another room. Thankfully, I'm small, and the hallway was  
unoccupied otherwise, so no one noticed me. He opened another door and stepped through, leaving  
it open enough for me to squeeze through.   
  
"So, how is our little fish doing?"  
  
"Alright, for now. She's still out from the earlier tranquilzer, but I think she'll be  
ready for the serum soon."  
  
Misty was in Hybrid form, suspended in a glass tube filled with some bluish-greenish   
liquid. There was a mask of some sort over her face, and a tube from that mask that led to   
something that I guessed let her breathe.  
  
"How much tranquilzer did you use on her?"  
  
"About the same used to knock out a Tarous."  
  
"Wow..." one of them whistled, "that much?"  
  
"She's a real fighter. Our Kadabra had so much trouble keeping her in the dome it   
couldn't teleport back and take her with it at the same time, so it had to walk back and hold  
her in with it's powers."  
  
That explained the holes in the trees. It probably levitated her in the ball, which   
caused all the broken branches. Then it used it's powers to cover it's tracks, not realizing   
the holes it made. I looked around for a place to take cover, only to realize there wasn't   
anything to hide behind or under! I just hoped they didn't turn around.  
  
"What's this one's special abilites?"  
  
"Well, lets see..." one of them punched a few buttons on the computer in front of the   
tank. "Besides great swimming speed, being able to hold her breath for hours, and being   
hydrokenitic...she's supposed to be able to communicate with Poke'mon telepathicly, though she'd  
escaped before we could confirm those reports."  
  
"What about the other one?"  
  
"The other one?"  
  
"You know...the other one..."  
  
"I don't know, really."  
  
"That Raichu Hybrid we had to leave behind, you..."  
  
"Raichu Hybrid?! You mean that one that escaped last week?"  
  
"You don't know? Well, no one's here...You can't tell Giovanni, but the Raichu Hybrid was  
actually with her," he jabbed a thumb at Misty, "but since Kadabra was alone, and it was using  
all it's power just to hold her, it couldn't take him with it."  
  
"Wait, how do you know this?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
Suddenly, before he could finish, a huge siren went off in the entire building, followed  
by an announcment.  
  
ATTENTION! HYBRID DETECTED OUTSIDE THE FACILITY! CAPTURE AT ALL COSTS!  
  
"Never mind! Let's get...huh?" They turned and spotted me as they started to leave.   
"Where did that come from?"  
  
"I don't know. Nobody here trains a Bulbasaur. I doubt it's wild, ethier."  
  
"It's a spy! Better take it out!"  
  
"How? All I have is a Wartortle!"  
  
"I don't have anything! Just grab it!"  
  
They ran at and lunged for me, but they were slow and clumsy. I lead them on a run all   
around the lab, and they were totally exhausted within a minute. Finally, probably more in   
fustartion than anything else, one of the guys enlarged and threw out a Poke Ball.  
  
*Wartortle!*  
  
"Wartortle...take care...of that...Bulbasaur!" he gasped, out of breath.  
  
*A Grass-type! Are you crazy?*  
  
*Desperate is more like it.* I charged and Tackled her (Wartortle was a girl) to the   
ground. Her shell took the worst of it, and she rolled back to her feet.  
  
*Hey, that was a cheap shot!*  
  
*Stop complaining and start fighting!*  
  
I fired a pair of Razor Leafs at her, but she dodged one and shot the other one down  
with a Water Gun before turning it on me. I braced and took the blow, the water doing nothing   
other than refreshing me a touch.  
  
*Nice defense,* I commented, *but you gotta work on your counters.*  
  
*Don't be too sure you're going to win with your type advantage alone!*  
  
*What, that's...  
  
Bulbasaur?  
  
Huh? There a voice in my head! That's rarely good...  
  
Over here! I heard the sound of rapping glass. I turned and saw Misty, her eyes open,  
hitting the glass that surrounded her with her fist.  
  
*Misty, you're O.K.!*  
  
What...look out!  
  
It was too late. Wartortle knocked me back with a lucky Tackle, then got a quick hit in  
with her claws. I released a little Stun Spore, but she leapt back before it could do anything.  
  
Sorry! Misty apoligized. She quickly got serious. Look, there's not a lot of time   
here. I'm guessing Dan is around somewhere, and he sent you to get me. Looks like you have   
something else to take of first, but when you're done, get me out of this tube! I'm   
claustraphobic, and there isn't a lot of room here!  
  
*Sure, as soon as I take care of little Miss Whiner here...* I tried to Vine Whip   
Wartortle, but she Withdrew into her shell before I could connect.  
  
Wrap it up like you did with Staryu!  
  
That's good advice, I thought, quickly entangling Wartortle in a bundle of vines.   
She struggled inside her shell, unable to get out.  
  
"Wartortle, you worthless Poke'mon! Break out!"  
  
*Nice trainer you got there.* I said sarcasticly. It took a few seconds to decide what  
to do with a shell, but after looking at Misty still struggling inside her tube, it was pretty  
obvious. I took the shell in my vines, bought it back and...  
  
SLAM!  
  
CRACKKKKK!  
  
I repeatily slammed Wartortle into the tube, forcing the glass to crack slightly. Her   
trainer didn't seemed to want to get involved in any of this. I shuddered at the thought of   
being trained by someone like that.  
  
*Ow! Hey, that really hurts!*  
  
*Just one more time...*Sure enough, one more quick slam cracked a hole in tube, sending  
the liquid spilling onto the floor. With a few swift kicks, Misty made a hole big enough for her  
to squeeze out through.  
  
"NO!" The scientists yelled.  
  
*That's it!* Wartortle yelled. The tone of her voice shocked me so much the shell slipped  
out of my vines and crashed to the ground. She went back to her normal position and glared   
angirly at her trainer.  
  
*I've had enough of this! You don't pay any attention to me, other than to yell at me,   
I'm lucky if I'm even fed anymore; you don't care about me at all! Even when I evolved, you   
barely noticed, and now you send me out against a Grass-type?!" Wartortle cried, looking at her  
trainer. *I'm tired of this!* With that, she shot a stream of water at her ex-trainer. He and  
the other scientist ran from the water, moving behind the remeants of the thing that held Misty.  
  
"Let me give you some help there..." Misty closed her eyes and held out her arm, palm  
facing forward.   
  
*What are you doing?* I asked. She didn't respond, and at first, I was really confused.   
Wartortle changed her aim to the tube, the water blocked from the men by it. Suddenly, the water,  
and I swear it's true, bent around the tube and hit the scientists. Even as they ran, the water   
followed them, no matter where they went, bending and twisting around corners and anything that  
could normally block it.  
  
*Whoa...* I was in shock. This kept up for about a good two minutes, which was actually   
quite amusing. The alarm resounded during this time, reminding everyone of the Hybrid still   
outside. Wait...Hybrid outside the building?  
  
*DAN!* I ran out into the hall, desperate for a way out. I followed one Rocket dressed  
in black out a part of the wall that lifted up when he hit a switch hidden in the wall.   
  
All heck was breaking loose outside. Nidoran and Dan were surrounded by a ring of   
Rockets, some with rubber gloves, but they mostly seemed unready for this. They attacked the pair  
one at a time, like in a bad karate movie, and, just like a bad karate movie, they couldn't get  
ethier of them. If they went after Nidoran, he jabbed them in the leg the moment they would   
grab him. If they went after Dan, he fried them with a bolt of electricty before they even got  
within five feet of him.  
  
*Don't any of these guys have Poke'mon on them?* Nidoran asked no one in paticular.  
  
*Guess not.* Dan replied.  
  
Think fast, Bulbasaur. I had to figure out how to break them up...ah-ha! I settled   
myself and concentrated on creating seeds. I felt them start to pile up in my bulb, and I let   
them out one at a time. They burst open into vines and quickly wrapped up the Rockets, sapping  
their energy as they did.  
  
*Alright!* Nidoran cried as my Leech Seeds did their work.  
  
*Cool...* Dan turned to look at what was happening, not seeing that a seed missed the   
Rocket behind him. She grabbed a large stick off the ground, charging at him and swinging. She  
connected with his head before I fired another seed and tangled her up too.  
  
"Dan!" Misty came running out of the passage way as Dan sat on the ground, dazed for   
sure, but still aware. He held his head for a few seconds, then looked around, confused.  
  
"Where am Rai? What happened?" he asked.  
  
"Are you O.K.? You just got hit in the head."  
  
"Rai did?" He still seemed clueless as to what had happened. "The last thing I remember,   
the gym Chu came down on my head...now I'm here. Raichu happened?"  
  
"Didn't you come here to save me?"  
  
"Rai...guess." He stood up and brushed himself off. "Ow...my head..."  
  
"Come on. I should get back to the gym, and you should get some rest."  
  
"Raichu." He agreed with a nod. Nidoran and I had to point out the holes we'd used as a   
guide into the woods, so they could use them as a way out.  
  
By the time we returned to the gym, the police were there in full force, investigating   
every inch of the place. Dan and Misty spoke privately for a few moments before Dan started back  
toward the hotel. We followed him, paused outside for a few moments while he made a quick change  
back to human, then walked into the hotel. The clerk seemed surprised to see someone walk in   
with his Poke'mon out of their balls, but Dan quickly explained that he wanted to see how his  
Poke'mon did in the night.   
  
After he checked in, we went back to the room and went to bed. Dan took the bed, while   
Niodran and I took up a spot on the couch. It was well past noon when some annoying little   
bellhop knocked on the door and woke me up. He came in and left an envelope on a table just   
outside Dan's door before he left. About twenty minutes later, Dan came out in Hybrid form,   
yawning.  
  
"Morning, Bulbasaur." he yawned, streching out.   
  
*You got something here.* I looked up at the letter. It was a plain white envelope, not  
very big at all.   
  
"Raichu?" He picked up the envlope and opened it, pulling out a piece of paper. He read  
it over for a minute, then reached into the envelope, pulling out a...  
  
"Cascade Badge. Thank you, Misty." He knelt down and patted me on the head. "Rai guess I  
have you to thank, too. I don't Raichu a thing that happened, but Chu safe to say you did a lot."  
  
*Well, maybe I did a little bit...* I said modestly.  
  
*Hey, what about me?* Nidoran asked, joining the two of us.  
  
"I'm sure you Rai a lot, too." He was about to pat Nidoran too when he remembered the   
horn, and instead stroked his back a little. After, we ate our breakfast and helped Dan pack up.  
He seemed to be kinda quiet for most of it, like he was really thinking about something. I   
tried to read the letter he'd gotten at one point, though after a few seconds it occured to me  
I couldn't read. (Hey, I was only taught how to obey spoken commands. There didn't seem much   
point in learning how to write!)  
  
Dan never told us what was in the letter, even after we'd left the hotel and went to the  
Poke'Mart. I was concerned something bad happened, but when he said he'd let me and Nidoran get  
one thing of our choice out of the store, I kinda forgot about it.  
  
*Bulbasaur, I want to ask you something.* Nidoran asked as we searched for what we   
wanted. I'd already picked out a huge bag filled with different types of candy for Poke'mon, and  
pushed it with my head towards Nidoran.  
  
*What's up?*  
  
*About what happened before. When and if Dan ever fully understands us, should we tell  
him what happened and how he acted?*  
  
I looked up at our trainer, who had naturally went to human before coming in, grabbing  
some medicences for us and whatever else he thought nessacary. Should we tell him what happened?  
I know we need to be honest with our trainer and all, but...I felt really uneasy about that.  
  
*No,* I shook my head at the thought of what would happen, "he never asked for this to  
happen to him. I still don't know what was with all those Rockets that had Misty, but they're   
probably involved with our trainer as well. He doesn't need that to happen to him.*  
  
Nidoran nodded somenly, then went back to looking. A minute later we bought up our stuff  
as Dan packed the last of everything into his bag. He paid for our things and put them in the   
pack as well.  
  
Well, I thought, despite a few obstacles, we've made it out O.K.. If we could make it   
through this, we could make it through anything.  
  
*Dan, you dropped something!* Nidoran said. He had, indeed, dropped a Paralyze Heal on   
the ground, not even noticing it was missing.  
  
"You can have your candy later, Nidoran!" Dan said before returning Nidoran into his   
ball.  
  
*No, you dropped you're Paralyze Heal!* I tried to tell him.  
  
"You too, Bulbasaur!" Dan put away Nidorans ball and pulled out mine. Well, I thought   
before I was returned to my ball, almost anything. 


	5. Fox Fire

Maybe it's just me, but I think some people have been getting tired of Dan being out all alone.  
Well, for those who are with me, read on, because that changes as of this chapter! Also, I'm  
still open to ideas from others. Let me know what you think!  
  
  
  
Chp.5-Fox Fire  
  
  
  
  
  
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A few days out of Cerulan, I was well on my way towards Vermilion City. Again, I had  
to stay away from any direct routes to avoid unwanted human contact, but I'm getting used to it.  
Besides, I think being part Poke'mon has put me a little more in touch with nature. It's   
becoming a little more enjoyable to be out in the woods, and things that would bother most   
people at night put me at ease. As it was one night, I'd set up camp next to a fast moving   
stream, which, while loud, was relaxing and soothing. I slept quickly after I set up camp,   
waiting only long enough for dinner to be ready and eaten before falling asleep.  
  
A few minutes before midnight, I was woken by the sound of something knocking over my  
metal mess kit, which, as usual, I'd left out, being too lazy to clean up after myself. At   
first, I didn't move, in case it was a lost trainer, the last thing I wanted to deal with.   
Whoever, or whatever, it was then headed to the tent. I still didn't move, but did start getting  
little bolts running between my fingers, about five volts per bolt. It's not nearly enough to do   
permenant damage, especially compared to the 100,000 volts that a fully leveled Raichu can use,  
but many people don't realize that even five volts hurts a lot, especially when it's applyed for  
long periods of time.  
  
The zipper of the tent started to open, and I scrambled out of my bag, hoping I'd just  
scare the intruder off. The moment the zipper opened, though, something caught the attention of  
my nose. A new, yet familar scent was coming from this person. The zipper went up a little more,  
then the nosy little thing came into my tent.  
  
"Raichu?"  
  
"Raichu?" I agreed. It was in fact a Raichu, definitly suprised to see me, because to it,  
I was something that shouldn't exsit. The scent was coming from her. I could tell it was a girl   
because of the pink bow tied around her tail. That's not really a guy thing.   
  
"Sorry, but you're not Raichu type." I said, kneeling down to her. Judging by the bow,   
she wasn't wild. Wonder what's she's doing here, I thought. She was understandable cautious,   
not really sure what to make of me, though she didn't seem as surprised like most are when she   
walked over to me as I took a seat.  
  
"Are Chu lost?" I asked. Maybe she was released by a trainer that didn't want a Raichu.  
I'd kinda feel bad about doing that, but some people have no objections to it.   
  
"Rai not Rai" she said, shaking her head.   
  
"Raichu not lost? How come Chu all the Rai out here?"  
  
She started off on a long story, maybe 2% of which I actually understood. I caught the   
words, "Town", "Police", "Sara", and "Help", along with a few "The's" and "And's". When she saw   
I wasn't getting much of this, she pointed to her bow.  
  
"What Chu it?" She turned and put her tail so the bow was almost in my face. Now that it   
was closer, I could see a folded piece of paper tied in with the bow. I pulled it out and showed  
it to her. "Raichu what you're Raichu show me?"  
  
"Rai." I unfolded the paper and read it over. It was a letter of sorts, the handwriting  
barely readable. It looked like someone was in a hurry to write it. Thankfully, no one has worse   
handwritting than I do, so I'm used to it.   
  
  
To whoever receives this letter,  
  
Please, I beg you to help us! Our town has been taken over by a corrupt police  
force! My father, the mayor, has been missing for a month, and the police have taken over in his  
absence, leaving all around them with nothing. They arrest anyone who apposes them and take   
whatever they feel like taking. I've been locked in my father's home, but I can see the damage  
they do. They have put half the town in jail, and the other half are forced to do what the   
bidding of these heartless monsters, unable to leave town. I've sent Railina, my most capable   
Poke'mon for this task, to try and find someone who can help. Please, do not ignore our plight!  
  
Sara Maximillion.  
  
"Whoa..." I turned to Railina. "Is this true?"  
  
"Raichu." She nodded.  
  
Shoot, if she wasn't lying, this was serious! There wasn't a heck of a lot I could do on  
my own, but I couldn't just ignore this, either. I didn't have too much more time to ponder this,  
however, as I heard the footsteps of at least four people quite some distance way, but   
approaching fast.  
  
"We gotta find that dumb Raichu!"  
  
"Yeah, if we don't, the cheif will have our hides on a silver platter!"  
  
"Don't worry, it's just a dumb Poke'mon. How far could it have gotten?"  
  
Railina looked like she was about ready to bolt. These guys were after her! I quickly   
stuffed the note back into her bow and got out of the tent.  
  
"Railina, Cerulan City Raichu few miles that way," I pointed back in the general   
direction I'd come. "Go there. Raichu be able to Chu Raichu than me."  
  
"Rai you." She ran off, while I thought of a plan to distract the cops. After a moments  
thought, I released Bulbasaur. I outlined my plan quickly, then we took our positions.  
  
"I still don't see it..." one of them mumbled. They were close enough now...  
  
"Rai?" I called out. The group suddenly got very quiet, searching for the owner of the  
voice. I called out again, and this time, they found me in the brush. I'd hidden myself totally  
except for my tail, which I intentionally left out in view, and the tops of my ears, keeping my  
head low enough so that was all they saw.  
  
The sound of opening Poke'balls filled the air. There were a few low, "Growlithe", voices.  
They sniffed at the ground a little before growling steadily, ready to pounce. There  
were a few more footsteps, then I felt a hand suddenly grab my tail.  
  
"Growl?" Too late, the Growlithe's noticed my human scent mixed with the Raichu's.  
  
"RAICHU!" I yelled, hitting the ground flat on my stomach. Bulbasaur released the branch  
he was holding with his vines, knocking back the men behind me. As soon as I felt the hand leave  
my tail, I scrambled to my feet and ran in the direction they'd come from. The Growlithe's gave   
chase, forcing me to recall Bulbasaur as I ran. He didn't have the speed to outrun them, and we'd  
learned on the first day out of Pallet not to mess with Growlithe's unless we were sure we could   
handle them!  
  
If I'd been human, maybe the Growlithe's would've have caught me, but for all the bad  
stuff that comes with being a Hybrid, like not being able to make long public appearences and  
scaring off any wild Poke'mon the moment they catch wind of you, there are some benefits,   
depending on what kind of Hybrid you are. For myself, one of those was a speed high school   
sprinters would kill to have. After about five minutes of non-stop running, the Growlithe's only  
had their noses to help them, and the Raichu-human scent confused them like nothing else.  
  
"Chu...Chu..."I gasped, slowing down to a walk. Despite great speed, I didn't have the  
energy to keep it up for long. I was going to have to rest before I could run, become human,   
or anything that required more than a small amount of energy. Walking a little bit, I found a  
nice, comfortable cave to sleep in. After checking to make sure there wasn't anything already in  
there, I settled down quietly for some sleep.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
I opened my eyes, finding myself back in my tube. I sighed, tired of this routine. Every  
day, they inject me, I pass out, I wake up and get, "trained", for a few hours, eat some rotten   
food, pass out again from the drugs in it, then repeat the process again later. I'd never touch it,   
but that's all I get to eat, so I have no real choice.  
  
I'm told there are others like me, but with this stupid glass, I can't see a thing. The   
men and women in white, the one's who feed and inject me, don't tell me this. A few voices in my   
head tell me that there are others like me out there, and that they too, are like me. I really  
don't know if I can believe voices in my head, but they keep me company sometimes, and I speak   
with my mind with them if they're talking to me, which is probably the only reason I'm still   
sane.  
  
They tell great stories, the voices. There's this one I really like to hear, about the  
world outside of my tube and the training room. They say that beyond this thing were in, a  
"building", where our tubes are, is a great world, where people are free to do almost whatever   
they want. I don't know if they're right, but I'd like to be free, even though I don't know what  
that feels like. The voices say that they're almost ready to free us all, everyone like me. I  
tell them that they can't, that we don't have the abilities to free ourselves. They just say that  
they do, even if I don't. But if you said we were all alike, then how can you free us if I can't  
free myself, I ask. They just say that it's too complicated for me to understand.  
  
I can see the people in white at my tube again. It looks like they're about to inject me  
again. I sighed again, really not wanting to do this. A metal rod shot out of the side into my  
arm. It hurts a lot, but I can't avoid it. Now they're going to inject me again...huh? I can't  
see well out the tube, but the few people I can see look really worried all of the sudden.   
They're scared, but why?  
  
Suddenly, the white clothed people flew backwards, out of sight, even though nothing   
touched them. Nothing happened for a few seconds, then the glass of my tube cracked greatly,   
letting some of the fluid out.  
  
Come. You can be free now.  
  
I knew this voice. He called himself Mike. He was one of the voices that used to speak  
with me.  
  
Just keep hitting the crack. It'll break.  
  
I hesitated for a few seconds. Could this really be happening? I could be free, just by  
hitting the cracks? This seemed too easy...but what did I have to lose? I kicked and punched at  
the crack, and it slowly got bigger. Finally, with one hard kick, my foot broke through the   
glass, causing the pieces left to cut up my foot badly, but I didn't care. I kept kicking and  
punching, making the hole bigger and causing more fluid to leak out. When most of the fluid was  
out, I pulled off the big mask that covered my mouth. When the hole was big enough, I squeezed   
through, cutting myself on the glass as I did.  
  
I jumped down to the ground, blinded by the bright lighting. The instant I hit the   
ground, I saw...  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
My eyes fluttered open slowly, just in time to see a figure in a dark trenchcoat dash out  
of the cave. It took a few seconds to come to full awareness, but I soon realized something was  
wrong.  
  
"Hey, come...Ow!" I started to chase after it, but I was in such pain I could barely   
walk. I sat abruptly and looked myself over to see why.  
  
"No..." If I weren't in such pain, I'd have been running out of that cave for my life.  
All the cuts I'd gotten from hitting the glass and forcing myself through the hole were now all  
over my body, fresh and bleeding like they were just formed. Moving up my arm, I felt the hole  
that had been made by the rod. How could this happen? Dreams don't hurt anyone...unless...  
  
"Dream Eater?" That was the only way this could happen. What used it then? I didn't see  
any Poke'mon, and humans can't use it. I sniffed at the air, hoping maybe to catch a scent of   
the figure that had just been in here. There was no scent...but that's physically impossible.  
There's no way for anyone to cover up their scent totally. In fact, only ghosts don't really   
have a scent...and ghosts are pretty much the only ones who use Dream Eater...  
  
I shivered and stood up, having to lean against the cave wall just to stay upright. I  
limped out painfully, seeing I was obviously going to need medical attention. Unfortunetly, I   
doubted I'd make it back into my stuff and first-aid kit in time to start healing. Listening   
closely, I heard sounds, scrambled badly, but they could very well be civilzation. Let's see,  
potential death with civilzation...almost certain death in the woods...tough choice.  
  
Using a stick for support, I walked in the direction of the noises, which had now   
stopped. After what seemed like forever, (but in reality was about fifteen minutes) I found a  
cabin by a nice looking lake. It was probably a summer house. Hoping no one was there, I   
stumbled over and knocked on the door, planning to run...well, hobble...away if anyone actually  
answered. When no one did, I turned the knob. It was unlocked. Either I was having a great change  
of luck, or I was walking into a trap. Praying for luck, I opened the door and went in.  
  
It was a nice looking place. Well kept, for sure, but it looked like no one lived here   
in a while. Looked, but didn't smell like. There was a fresh scent, too fresh. Someone was here,  
hiding? Great, a burgular. If I were at full strength, then maybe I could do something, but like  
this, I'd be lucky to lay a finger on the theif.   
  
I was about to leave when I happened to glance at the doorway to the kitchen. There was  
a dark red substance seeping out onto the living room carpet.   
  
"That better Raichu juice..." I muttered. Now I kinda felt obligated to at least check  
it out. If it was a body...well, I didn't really think about that at the time. I moved to the   
door, careful not to step in the stuff, summoned up all my courage and pushed the partially open   
door.  
  
It was a kitchen, with more of the red stuff covering the tile floor. I followed the   
trail with my eyes, down the floor, up a red splattered counter top to the source...  
  
"It is Chu juice," I said, seeing the upsetted bottle, relieved and shocked at the same   
time. Relieved, because I wasn't going to have to deal with a corpse; shocked, because this   
probably meant that someone was here for sure.   
  
I looked around quickly, not seeing anyone croutching behind anything. The scent was   
different in here. I passed it off as the fruit juice. All of that sugar probably messed up   
the...  
  
"VUL!"  
  
"Wha...YEOW!" Out of nowhere, a Vulpix had lodged it's teeth into my ankle, which was   
hurting enough already from all the cuts I'd gotten. The bleeding had stopped too..."Raichu me   
go!"  
  
I kicked my foot a little, causing the little fox Poke'mon to lose it's grip. It slid on  
it's back across the tile and crashed head first into the wall.  
  
"Oh no!" I didn't mean to do that! I limped over to check the poor thing out. In a house  
like this, it was probably tame. Gingerly, I reached out to the stunned Poke'mon. It was dazed,  
but there seemed like there was no injuries of any sort. Turning it over, I set the Vulpix down  
on it's feet. It growled at me after I put it back on it's feet, but didn't attack. Even as I  
hobbled around the house, looking for something to start getting cleaned up with, it didn't attack,   
but it was very presistant in following me around and growling the moment I even moved in it's  
general direction.  
  
It certainly was an odd Poke'mon, following, but not attacking. In fact, the only place  
it didn't follow me in was the bathroom.   
  
"Aren't Chu coming?" I asked jokingly.  
  
"Vul..." it growled in response. I shrugged and closed the door. I showered, the hot   
water feeling nice against my wounds. Even though I had to put the same clothes back on again   
when I finished, at least I felt a little cleaner. After cleaning up, I bandaged up my cuts  
(badly) with a roll of bandages from a medicene cabinet.  
  
Finished, I opened the door and stepped over the growling Vulpix, limping back to the   
kitchen. Opening the refrigorator, I saw...  
  
"Nothing?!" The entire fridge had been wiped clean! All that as left was a half-empty jar  
of mustard and a package of blue cheese. Turning to the Vulpix, I said, "Did Chu do this?"  
  
"Vulpix..." It hung it's head, almost like it was in shame. Weird, I was just kidding...  
  
"Huh?" I heard sirens...heading here! Vulpix suddenly ran and curled up behind my foot,  
suddenly more worried about the sirens than me.  
  
Now it wants to be my best friend?, I thought. I sighed, scooped up the odd little   
Poke'mon, and walked as fast as possible to the closest hiding spot, a closet.  
  
I just closed the closet door when the main door was kicked in viciously by the police.   
They were yelling for everyone to search for, "the girl." The Vulpix cowered at this mention. Did   
it think they were looking for it...  
  
The door opened, and suddenly I was staring down the face of a pack of angry Growlithes.  
  
"FREEZE!"  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Thought I try a cliffhanger for once. It maybe a bit short, but I think it's good. Again, please  
review if you want to. I'd appricate it very much.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. A Dirty Job for a Confused Soul

Sorry about the shortness of the last chapter. I'd planned to put together 5 and 6 and make it  
one huge chapter, but it was a hectic week and my twenty-two year old brother decided to park  
himself on here for four hours when I was about to type up the second part of the chapter. Since  
I already felt bad about making my readers wait last week, so I put up what I had. No need to   
fear, though. I've made a solemn swear to have this part done for everyone by Wendsday. If I don't,  
you can send me your e-mails complaining about how slow I am, and I'll thank you for the input.  
Ethier way, I'm still very open for ideas. Don't be afraid if you think it sounds dumb. Heck,   
when I first came up with this story, I thought it was pretty bad, but here I am. It's only a bad  
idea if you think it is.(Unless your just some idiot who e-mails people with totally pointless  
ramblings just because you can. I'm sure my readers are farily intelligent, though.)  
  
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Chp.6- A painful job for a confused soul...  
  
  
  
  
Everything was a blur by the time the tranquilzers wore off. When my vision returned,   
I found myself...in my room? I was lying in my bed, blankets covering my body. Was it over? Had  
the nightmare ended? I grabbed the mirror of my nightstand, then looked at myself in disgust   
before thorwing it across the room.  
  
It's never going to end! I'm going to be a freak forever, a monster! I wanted to blame  
someone for doing this to me, but who? Some of my clothes, the one's I worn when all this first  
started, laid in a heap next to me. Reluctantly, I put them on, not wanted to think about the   
fact that this style was going to be a permenant part of my wardrobe.  
  
I reluctantly looked myself over in the full length mirror kept by my closet, still  
trying to figure out how this could have happened to me. Light red fur covering every part of me,  
three toed furry feet, six red, curled tails sticking out from the base of my spine, canine-like  
muzzle with a cold black nose, light grey eyes, short black hair with the front curled up like a   
Vulpix's and small Vulpix ears poking through it, all covering a human shaped body...this wasn't   
right!  
  
Desperate to get out of this room, I tried the door. Locked, and this time it was locked  
from the outside. I couldn't burn it away like the first time. Same went for the only window in  
my room. A prisoner in my own home...  
  
"Raichu?"  
  
"Vul?" Could it be...Railina! She came back! I could tell it was her by the bow on her  
tail, my bow. She was under my bed and had crawled out, dusting off all the dirt that was under   
there. (I really need to sweep under there) "They got you too..."  
  
"Rai..." she said, nodding. I sat on my bed as she climbed up on top of it. I was happy   
to see her again...but this probably meant the worst.  
  
"Vul you tell anyone what's Vulpix here?" I asked, trying not to think about the fact   
that I couldn't even talk straight anymore.  
  
"Rai!" she nodded and smiled at that. Maybe there was still hope!   
  
"Who?"   
  
"Chu..." I grabbed her little computer that we used to talk with each other before I   
turned into a monster. Since I'd had her since I was four, and I'm now twelve, I taught Railina  
English so she could read. She still had a lot of problems using the right forms of some words,   
but that's still pretty good for a Poke'mon.  
  
She typed slowly with her short little arms, longer than she usually did. When she   
finished, she turned it toward me.  
  
-I TOLD A BOY LIKE YOU-  
  
"What? Vulpix a boy like me?"  
  
I set the communicator back down to her. She typed another message.  
  
-A RAICHU HYBRID-  
  
A Hybrid? What was that? A hybrid is something that's really parts of two things...oh...  
I understood now. Another monster like me, just a Raichu instead of a Vulpix.  
  
"Wait, Railina, did he look like..." I described the boy who had wandered in hurt into   
the empty cabin I'd found. When I finished, she nodded.  
  
I couldn't believe it! The same boy who I tried to scare off...he obviously wasn't very  
bright. I was being really vicious before, with all that growling I'd done. He just ignored me,  
which made me feel worse than I already was when I saw another poor victim. Even after that, he  
still tried to help me after I was so threating.  
  
"RAICHU!" Suddenly Railina kicked the computer, sending it flying off the bed.  
  
"Railina!"  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Stupid computer! NOW it had to run out of batteries! I booted it angerly, which surprised  
Sara. She didn't expect that out of her Poke'mon. Well, I wouldn't either, but then again, I'm  
not really her Poke'mon.  
  
Yeah, it's me, Dan. Those must have been some tranquilzers they used. Could've stopped   
a Tarous dead in it's tracks with one of those...After they hustled me out of the closet, they  
took the Vulpix, who I didn't realize at the time was Sara, from me, then jabbed me in the arm  
with a neddle filled with something. In my weakened state, I wasn't really able to put up a   
fight. Next thing I knew, I was in here with Sara (in Hybrid form) and another Raichu, who I   
instantly recognized as Railina.  
  
*What the heck happened?* I muttered in Raichu terms, crawling out from inside my shirt.  
I looked and saw that I went totally Raichu again. *Man, I gotta learn how to control this...*  
  
*Hello?* It was an another Raichu. She looked just like me, save for the bow tied to her  
tail. *Raichu-boy? Are you O.K?*  
  
*Huh? Yeah, I think so...* I looked myself over again, realizing I wasn't hurt anymore.  
Heck, it looked like nothing ever happened!  
  
*What happened to you? They tossed you in here wrapped up in bandages with Sara.*  
  
I explained what had happened after we'd split up. When I finished, Railina explained her  
side of it. Apperantly, after I lost the Growlithe's, they focused on her scent, since that was  
the only one that didn't confuse them enough to throw them off the trail. Despite her best   
efforts, they caught up with her and captured her, putting her in here.   
  
*You weren't able to get to anyone else, either?* She shook her head. I sighed and hopped  
up to the bed, next to a sleeping Sara. *So this is why you weren't really shocked to see me...*  
  
*I was kinda used to it already.* she finished, hopping up with me. *Poor girl...she's  
been through so much.*  
  
*It was a little hard for me, too.* I admitted. *It still is, of course, but it's a   
little easier.*  
  
*Yeah, but you didn't have all this happen. First her dad, the mayor, dissappears, then  
the cops take over, now this.*  
  
*What attacked her?* I asked.  
  
*Huh?*  
  
*You know, what weird wild Poke'mon hurt her and made this happen?*  
  
*I'm confused. What are you talking about?*  
  
*Didn't she get hurt by a wild Poke'mon, get some weird stuff on her, and then this   
happened a few hours later?*  
  
Railina shook her head. *After the police locked her in here, she started getting really  
mad. She was so angry she started sweating. At first, when I saw it happening, I ignored it,  
but then she started growing fur. Then she totally changed.*  
  
Whoa! This blew what happened to Misty and myself right out of the water! We had to have  
outside forces directly interfere with us to make us change, but this...well, this was totally   
different!  
  
*Geez...* I muttered, before realizing something. *Wait, how did you get out of here last  
time?*  
  
*Here...* We went over into the closet. She pointed out a hole higher up in the closet,  
big enough for a Raichu to squeeze through.  
  
*Mouse hole...* I said with a little laugh. *Too bad we can't reach it.*  
  
*Maybe not...With a boost, one of us could make it through.*  
  
*Maybe, but then the other would have to stay here...*  
  
*You go.* Railina said.  
  
I shook my head. *You. You know the area a lot better than I do. I'll stay here and keep  
Sara safe for you.*  
  
*Thanks, but she won't trust you. I've been with her since I was a Pikachu and she was  
three. She's only trusts me and Pidgeotto.*  
  
*Where's he?*  
  
*She.* Railina corrected. *She was taken away when the police took over. They knew it   
would be too easy for her to fly away with a message, so they took her. They only left me after  
Sara begged.*  
  
*Sleazeballs...* I spat. *I've got an idea. Turn around.*  
  
She did as asked so her tail was to me. It took a little work, but I managed to undo the   
bow. It drifted to the floor.  
  
*O.K., now put it on me.*  
  
This took a good ten minutes for her(it's hard when you have short arms and you ain't got  
no fingers!). Eventually, it was on.  
  
*There. Now I look like you.*  
  
*Maybe...but you'll never be able to fake my beauty.*  
  
*Nor do I intend to.* I assured her. *Come on, let's get you up there.* Railina started  
to crawl up my back.  
  
*Hold still...*  
  
*I'm trying!*  
  
*You're squriming!*  
  
*Watch the tail!*  
  
*My tail is fine!*  
  
*No, mine!*  
  
*O.K., I'm almost there...*  
  
*Ow! My ear!*  
  
*Sorry!...O.K., were good!*  
  
One sore ear later, Railina was standing on my outstreched arms, which wasn't easy for   
me. Railina could afford to drop a few pounds,(Not that I'd ever tell her that. Free piece of   
advice for guys: no matter what, never tell a woman she looks fat, even if she asks for an honest  
answer. You'll regret it big time.) and I wasn't holding her up easily.  
  
*O.K., move forward.*  
  
*I'll try...whoa...whoa...*  
  
*Geez, hold still!*  
  
*I can't! I'm not exactly used to this!*  
  
*How hard can it be to keep your balance?!*  
  
*Hard when I have to keep it for two people!*  
  
After some griping and whining,(mostly on Railina's part) we reached the hole. I felt a  
great weight leave me as she climbed into the hole.  
  
*Good luck.* I called to her.  
  
*You too. Keep her safe for me.*   
  
*I will!* I assured her as she took off. I listened till she was out of range, then went  
back to Sara. I tried to wake her up by tugging on her arm, but she refused to respond. Soon, a   
man in a police uniform unlocked the door and came in.  
  
"Come on, you stu..." he was carrying a tray with bread and water. Just as I was about to  
make a snotty comment about this place being a prison, he muttered a comment that I can't repeat,  
or this wouldn't be a PG rated story!  
  
"Where the heck is the Raichu freak?!" He put the tray on a dresser and looked the room  
over. All he found was a supposed Railina and Sara.  
  
"Where is he?" he asked of me.  
  
"Raichu?" I shrugged. *Who?*  
  
"Stupid Poke'mon!" He grabbed a book laying on the dresser and threw it at me. I dove   
under the bed to avoid it. He stormed about the room, searching for anyway that someone could've  
gotten out of. He eventually found the hole and left the room, closing the door behind him. He  
came back and placed some kind of sealer over the hole before leaving again and locking the door.  
  
Soon after, Sara woke up, and here we are.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Oh, the batteries Vulpix..." I said, seeing why Railina got so mad. Sighing, I picked up   
Railina and set her down on my lap. "That probably didn't help Pix at all."  
  
"Rai..." She shook her head. What could we do now? I doubted the gaurd be dumb enough to   
just open the door so I could knock him out like last time. I broke my favorite lamp doing that,  
too.   
  
"Vul?" There were some more clothes laying next to my bed. That boy was wearing them   
before...but where was he now? Maybe he changed like I did and escaped. That insensitive fool!   
How dare he leave me here all alone?! I checked his pockets and found a Poke'dex. No Poke'balls;  
the police must have confiscated them.  
  
"Dan Gotem..." I mused, looking at his I.D. The picture was that of a human; he must have  
had it taken before he changed.  
  
"Rai, doing with Raichu?"  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
*Hey, what are you doing with my Poke'dex?* I yelled. She ignored me and closed it,   
putting it her pocket. She better not plan on keeping that!, I thought. Putting me on the bed,  
she walked over to the tray, sighed, and sat back down, nibbling on the bread.  
  
"Do you want some, Railina? They didn't give me anything else..."  
  
"Chu..." *Sure...* She handed me a piece of it. I gnawed on it, barely able to bite it.  
Hard as a rock, it had to be at least two weeks old.   
  
I watched as Sara took small, careful sips of water, like most fire-types do. They need   
to drink too, but not a lot. If they drink too fast, they tend to get ill, with the water   
lowering their body temperture. Same thing with getting cleaned up. They can usually only clean  
one part of the body at a time, which means that washing takes forever to do.  
  
After a few failed attempts at chewing the bread, I finally threw it on the ground. We  
stayed in that room for a few hours, just talking, though the converstations were pretty   
one-sided. An officer eventually came in and told Sara that she had to shower and go to the  
bathroom now, or wait till tomorrow. Sighing, Sara picked me up and took her with me. We were  
escorted to a bathroom, and a rather nice one at that. We were then shoved in rather rudely, then   
the door slammed shut behind us, the lock clicking in place.  
  
"I told Dad he shouldn't have locks on the outside of the doors..." she muttered,   
putting me down in the tub. She turned a few knobs and added bubble bath as the water flowed out.   
She stopped when it was up to my neck.  
  
"You stay here, Railina." She closed the curtain around the tub so I couldn't see out.  
I made the best of the situation and splashed around for a while, getting as clean as possible.  
I couldn't help but wonder, though, exactly what was going to happen to us if we didn't escape  
soon. I mean, eventually, I was going to turn back to, "normal" and the last thing I wanted to   
do was appear in front of Sara(or any girl, for that matter) in the full fur...I mean, beyond  
being in Raichu form. At least then, it wasn't bad for ethier of us.  
  
Sara came back a few minutes later and dried me off, which made all my fur puff up. Sara  
combed it down, then picked me up and walked around the room for a while. After a while, I was  
starting to wonder what the heck she was doing. Finally, she walked over to the tub, took the   
towel she'd used to dry me, and stuffed it into the drain, clogging the pipe.  
  
"Chu, Raichu?" *What are you doing?* She ignored me and turned on the water full blast.   
Soon, the tub began to overflow with water.  
  
"Railina, the water is going to start leaking out into the hall soon. When someone comes  
in here to see what's going on, use ThunderShock, O.K?"  
  
"Chu..." *Sure...* I wasn't sure exactly how powerful of a ThunderShock I could do. I've  
never even tried using electricity in this form before. Oh well, how much different could it be?  
  
Sara set me down on top of the sink and stood on top of the toilet to keep the water from  
damaging her. Soon enough, the garud who had escorted us in opened the door after the water had   
covered the entire bathroom floor.  
  
"What are you doing..." He saw Sara, then me, not quite sure what to make of this. I   
helped him, though.  
  
"RAICHU!" I tried to take everything I'd taught myself about using electricity and tried   
to make a bolt shoot out instead of just connecting it to another part of my body. It worked...  
kinda. The little bolt I made was about equal to a static bolt in power, and didn't even reach  
the floor.   
  
"Railina, this is the worst time to be sick!"  
  
"Rai..." *Heh,heh...*  
  
Luckily, the garud had flinched, giving me time to hop down and use electrcity the way I  
was used to using it. The electricty coursed through the floor, knocking the garud off his feet.  
Sara hopped down and quickly ran out of the room before the water could do much damage to her. I  
followed her out on all fours, which was a little tricky on the wet tile.  
  
"Come on Railina! Let's get out of here!" I followed her through some halls, down a set  
of stairs(Falling down them rather quickly. Never should've tried to do it on all fours...), and,  
after making sure nothing was broken, went to the main doors.  
  
"Hey, stop!" an officer who was garuding the doors yelled at us.   
  
What happened next was both creepy and cool at the same time. Sara opened her muzzle,   
and...  
  
"VUL!"  
  
well,...belched...an Ember sized fireball. Not exactly ladylike, but none the less   
effective as it flew toward the cop. He froze,(Was it in surprise or disgust? Your guess is as   
good as mine.) which made it easy for the Ember to hit him square in the face. He screamed in   
pain and clutched at his eyes. We ran by him and out the door, pausing only long enough so I   
could bite him in the ankle for good measure.  
  
"There!" She pointed over to an unoccupied police car parked outside the house.   
  
"Raichu, Chu Raichu!" *I hope you don't plan on driving that!*  
  
Unfortunetly, that was exactly her plan as she scooped me up, opened the door and put  
me on the passanger side front seat. Even worse, some idiot had left the keys in the ignition.  
This couldn't end well...  
  
"We better hope this is easier than it looks..." Sara muttered, getting in herself and   
closing the door. She buckled in, then put on mine. "Safety first!"  
  
Yeah right, I thought. You're gonna drive a car without a license, no experience at all,  
and with the entire police force after us! That's safe?!  
  
Things started out O.K. Then Sara found out the car was in park, and then all heck   
broke loose. The car constantly stalled, because Sara had no idea how to shift gears. Once she   
got a hang of that, she started O.K. Then the accelerator got stuck to the floor with honey that,  
don't ask me how, was spilt right under the pedal. Now the car wouldn't stop at all, save for a  
brick wall or some other large, solid object. When the speedometer read 55 mph, I knew we were   
in trouble.  
  
"Don't worry, Railina. We'll get to the police station and get everyone out. No more   
running away!"  
  
"RAICHU!" *Watch the road!* I was too short to see over the dashboard, but I knew the   
second she took her eyes off the road, we were dead. I curled up into a ball, prayed to every  
religious god I knew that I'd live through this, and tried not to think about what poor creature,  
Poke'mon or human, was running for their lives from us.  
  
I stayed curled up for a good while. Just as I thought maybe things would be O.K., I felt  
the car go flying into the air, a pause as we flew, which was followed by Sara screaming, an   
abrupt stop and the sound of shattering glass. I uncurled after a minute of waiting. Thankfully,   
the car seemed more or less intact, and Sara appeared O.K. now that she was calm.   
  
"I'm never... doing that... again!" Sara gasped, unbuckling my belt.  
  
"Chu, Rai Rai!" *Thank you!* I followed Sara out, noticing the officers strewn about the  
building. Appearently, we'd hit a ramp somewhere outside the building, went through the air, and   
ended up smashing through the large front window of the station, sending people diving for cover.  
The car itself was now half sticking out the building and half on top of someone's desk.  
  
We ran past the stunned officers to the jail cells. People were jammed into those things  
like tuna in a can. None of them had any room to move around. The prisoners were shocked to see  
the Vulpix girl, but when they saw her kick the first garud that came after her, they seemed less  
concerned with that and more concerned with encouraging her to help them.   
  
The police seemed prepared for such an attack, as they bought out a large amount of water  
Poke'mon, along with a few Rock and Ground types. They formed a large circle around us(this   
seemed vaguely familiar, but where?...) and attacked. Against the rock and ground Poke'mon, I had  
a type disadvantage, but I had another advantage; human intelligence. Many times, I was able to   
avoid a series of painful blows by watching and predicting attacks. Sara fought well too, but she  
was working with three different types, all of which had an advantage over her. Eventually,   
they were winning just by sheer numbers. We needed help, fast!  
  
Finally, one hard Mega Punch to the jaw bought me down. Sara was stumbling badly from  
all the damage she'd taken. Things were looking bad as everything started to get hazy. The   
station roof started looking like a cloud dotted sky...huh?  
  
"What the..." I muttered, snapping out of my daze. "How'd we Rai outside? And..." I   
looked myself over. Somehow,I was a Hybrid again, wearing the same clothes I had before I   
changed to Raichu form. "...Rai am Chu a Hybrid?"  
  
The surroundings were generally familiar, a forest with trees, dirt, mud, the usual, but  
it wasn't any place I'd been to before. All of my stuff was here too. Even my Poke'balls sat on  
top of my rolled up sleeping bag. I hadn't even left it like that...  
  
"Sara!" She was out cold on the ground next to me, soaking wet from all the water that  
she'd been attacked with. I knelt down and checked for her pulse. She was definitly alive, maybe  
not in the best of health, but definitly alive. I went to my things to get something to dry her  
off when I heard something coming up behind me. I spun quickly and saw...  
  
"You..." The thing that'd been running out of the cave when I'd woken up all cut and hurt  
was standing now not ten feet away. Oddly, all I could see was the trenchcoat. I guessed it's   
height to be about six feet or so, but the trench coat it wore dragged on the ground, covered  
the rest of the body, and the collar still managed to totally cover up it's head.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I demanded.  
  
"I saved you. You should respect me for that." it said in a cold, low voice.  
  
"Saved me? You can't Raichu have gotten us Chu there!"  
  
"I know Teleport." it said simply.  
  
"Teleport? But how? Chu aren't a Poke'mon, and Chu can't Raichu be able to use Teleport  
Rai you're human."  
  
"I'm nethier."  
  
"Rai...are Chu a Hybrid?"  
  
"I"M MORE THAN A MERE, 'HYBRID'!" it suddenly yelled out of nowhere. The volume was so   
high I had to cover my ears from the sound.  
  
"O.K., O.K.!" I yelled. "Chu aren't a Hybrid!" I slowly took my hands off my ears.  
Geez, talk about grumpy..."How'd Chu Teleport us? Rai never even saw..."  
  
"Something doesn't have to be seen to have an effect."  
  
"Right..." I hate it when people talk in riddles! "Why'd you save us, then?"  
  
"I owed it to you. I never meant to hurt you before, but I haven't been able to just   
enter a persons mind, so I had to use Dream Eater. If I'd known you were going to have that..."  
  
"Rai, Rai, Rai! Back up! What's this Raichu enter minds!?"  
  
"That's none of your concern. What your concern now is to find others like you. You   
should find one in Vermilion."  
  
"Wait! What Raichu Sara's town? What's Raichu happen to them?"  
  
"The remaining citizens will be inspired by your bold attack on the station. They will  
soon overthrow the police."  
  
"How do Rai know that's true?"  
  
"You don't."  
  
Who was this guy to tell me what to do? I was starting to get the urge to just slug this  
thing. Besides, for all I knew, this guy was feed me crud on what was happening in the town.  
Still, with everything else it's done, maybe I should believe it...  
  
"I have the feeling you don't like me."  
  
"You're Rai. I don't."  
  
"I'm sorry you feel that way." it sighed. "I assume this means you don't want to do as I  
say then?" I nodded, and he sighed again. "I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice."  
  
"What are Chu going to do?"  
  
"Watch." He pointed a long sleeved arm over at my Poke'balls. I blinked, and they were  
gone. He pointed to Sara next. I blinked again, and she was gone, too!  
  
"What'd Chu do to them?!" I demanded.  
  
"They are at random points in Vermilion City. If you want them back, I suggest you start  
looking before something happens to them."  
  
"You stupid..." I started to say, but I blinked again and it too, was gone. I was all   
alone again.  
  
"Coward! Come back here!" I yelled. Only the trees answered with the wind moving through   
their branches. I slowly picked up my things, not sure where exactly Vermilion City was. My  
stuff, however, had been conviently dropped on an old sign, which directed me north about thirty  
miles.  
  
I started walking, making a silent vow to myself that I'd never stop searching for   
answers till I dropped dead or found out everything I wanted to know. Right now, I had a lot   
more pressing matters to attend to.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Hope you like it! Again, I know it's kinda short, but I'm planning a great chapter 7. Please read  
and review if you don't mind. And yes, I will tie this all together, but there's a lot more that's  
gotta happen first. Till next time, keep those e-mails coming!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Just Can't Go Anywhere Without Making a ...

Alright, I know it's delayed, since I usually start typing a few days before, and I'm typing the  
day before I plan to have it out, but never fear! I'mon Spring Break, so I'll have plently of   
time to work on here. For now, however, Chp.7 is hot off the grill. Enjoy!  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chp.7-Just can't go anywhere without making a scene!  
  
I walked to Vermilion for two days straight, stopping only to eat and drink. I went   
without sleep, not wanting to lose anytime starting to search for my Poke'mon and Sara. Problem  
was, I ran out of people food, which meant I had to stick with the Poke'mon food I had, which  
didn't fill me up very much. Sure, I still had the candy Bulbasaur and Nidoran got back in  
Cereluan, but I felt a bit guilty about eating that, since I did promise that for them and them  
alone.  
  
Finally, about eight miles out from Vermilion, I swallowed the last piece of Poke'mon  
food, and I was still hungry. I kept walking none the less, sheer will power the only driving   
force I had. Don't panic, I thought. You're about to go into a city. There's plenty of food   
there. I'll just grab a burger or some chicken before I start searching...Do I have enough money?  
  
"Rai been robbed!" I exclaimed, looking at my empty wallet. It was just full of money!  
Where'd it all go? It must have been back when the cops were near my stuff. They must have   
searched it, and someone probably took all my money. Man, now I was poor, tired and hungry. Not  
a good combination.  
  
I walked and walked, feeling weaker with each step I took. Great, now I don't even have  
the energy to change back to human. How was I going to get into the city now?  
  
*sigh*"Raichu just get Chu water..." I muttered, kneeling down next to a large pond and   
pulling out my filter. Normal people can last a few weeks without food and a few days without  
water. Since I could go maybe ten hours without food, I wasn't about to risk running out of   
water, even though my thirst hadn't really been a problem before.  
  
I pumped and pumped the filter for a while, filling up all my canteens as fast as   
possible. I was halfway through the last one when something moved out of the corner of my eye. I   
looked up in time to see a blue tail slip below the surface of the water.  
  
"Chu?" I stuck my head underwater to see if I could spot the owner of that tail. I   
couldn't see anything...must have imagined it. I pulled out my head and kept pumping. When I  
was done, I put everything away and got out a towel to dry off my face.   
  
"Nuts..." The fur of my face was all messed up now. I put down the towel and tried to  
fix it a little. Though I've never really had been too concerned about my looks, being a Hybrid  
changed that. Now I'm constantly worry about keeping my fur nice and straight so I don't look  
like a dork. There, that's bett...hey, where's the towel?   
  
Looking around, I saw my towel below the surface of the water...moving? Not quite sure  
what was going on, I tried to reach in for it, but it kept moving away. Annoyed, I finally   
jumped in and swam after it, but it moved pretty fast. Being tired as it was, there was no way  
to catch it. I gave up, not wanting to waste valuable energy.  
  
Just as I started to climb out, my towel came up to float by my side. I felt like it was  
trying to intimidate me. Then I felt like a fool for not just grabbing it. At first, I ignored  
it and started to climb out. Just as I was about to put my pack on, I dove in after the towel,  
making a less than spectacular bellyflop, but grabbing the towel in the process.  
  
"Come here!" Even though I couldn't see anything, there was definitly something pulling  
on the other end of it. It wasn't really strong, as I pulled around the invisible force rather   
easily. This little tug-of-war went on for a few seconds, then I finally gave one mighty pull.  
I fell back, gripping my towel and landing on my back. Suddenly there was a weight on my stomach  
as whatever it was landed on it.  
  
"What the...RAICHU!" Something burned at my stomach and clothes, which hurt quite a bit.  
I shoved off whatever was on my stomach, only to end up getting my hands burnt, too. It wasn't  
like a burn from a fire, but more like from acid. That meant...this was an Acid Armor move...and  
since only two Poke'mon learn Acid Armor...and Muks hate water...  
  
"VAPOREON!" I always wanted a Vaporeon for my team, and of course now would be the time  
my Poke'mon were deposited all over Vermilion City! I didn't even have anymore Poke'Balls,   
either. Still, I had to try...  
  
Vaporeon had gotten some mud on it when I threw it, and part of it stuck on, so I had an  
idea of where it was. Grabbing the towel, I started to circle Vaporeon, and it circled with me.  
I lunged at it, trying to wrap it up in the towel. We wrestled around for a while, and I   
acquired a few more nice burns on my clothes and fur. Soon, though, I had it in the towel, which  
I'd turned into a makeshift bag. It thrashed around for a while, then seemed to give up.  
  
Proud of myself for my first catch, even without Poke'mon, I searched through my   
backpack for something else to store Vaporeon in until I got another ball.  
  
Ssssssss...  
  
What was that sound? It seemed to be coming from the towel...oh man! Vaporeon was trying  
to burn it's way out! I grabbed the first thing my hand came across, a pot for boiling water, and  
dropped the towel in it. Not a second after I did, the towel disintigrated into nothing. Before  
it could escape, I turned the pot upside down on the ground, trapping it.  
  
"Vapor..."  
  
"Rai wouldn't try that again." I advised, knowing full well it might try to eat through  
the pot with acid. "Rai a Hybrid. A Hybrid is Raichu of human and Poke'mon. Chu, not only do Rai   
look half like a Raichu, Rai have the abilites of a Raichu. Chu, my friend, are a water type.  
Even Chu must know Raichu water is weak to electrcity."  
  
I kept one hand on the top of the pot and the other close to the side in case Vaporeon  
did try to escape again. If it did try to get out again, it probably would, since I wasn't really  
willing to get burned again. I got lucky, however, as Vaporeon said something through the pot.  
  
"Vaporeon. Eon lost."  
  
"Chu admit Chu lost? And Chu won't run away?"  
  
"Vapor..."  
  
This was too easy. I wasn't about to lose a Vaporeon, so I made a quick contract with  
the trapped Poke'mon. Basically, it couldn't run away, hurt me or anyone else without special  
permission or in battles, and would stay in my arms until I got a ball to put it in. If not, and  
I quote, "May thou be struck by the curse of Ninetales, the punishment equal to that of grabbing  
all nine of it's tails at once." That's a 9000 year curse(1000 years per tail) that no one wants  
to deal with.  
  
Vaporeon agreed to my terms(or at least I think it did. Remember, I get maybe 2% of what  
a Poke'mon says!), so I carefully lifted up the pot. It dropped it's Acid Armor, and I put the   
pot back. I put my backpack on and picked up Vaporeon.  
  
"Well, Raichu hard, but Rai think it was worth it. Do Chu?"  
  
"Eon, Vaporeon it." it said.  
  
"Hmm..." Might as well ask... "Are Chu a male?"  
  
"Vapor." he said with a nod. Another guy...Am I ever going to catch a girl?  
  
"Raichu then. Come on, let's get going."  
  
I started walking again, trying to figure out how to make Vaporeon comfortable. I told  
it the story behind my Hybridism, or at least as much I recalled. Yeah, it's not exactly a   
bedtime story, but the worst that could happen would be that Vaporeon be a little scared of me,  
and like they say, it's better to be feared than loved. Actually, Vaporeon seemed to enjoy it.  
It was actually rubbing it's head up against me, almost as if it liked the story.(And who   
wouldn't? Sorry, just a little ego there...)  
  
We heard the city well before we reached it. It wasn't just the usual city noises; there  
sounded like some kind of festival going on. On the outskirts of the city, I was definitly sure  
there was something going on. Bright banners were everywhere, music of all sorts could heard,  
and there were all sorts of smells, especially...  
  
"FOOD!" All the different food smells, combined with my own ravenous hunger, pushed me  
over the edge. I ran into the city full speed with the last bit of energy I had, totally   
forgetting about trying to cover up my condition at all. I dodged through crowds and crowds of  
people, clutching Vaporeon to my chest so I didn't drop him.  
  
Finding a large table loaded with foods all sorts, I placed Vaporeon down on the table   
and dug in, passing up utensils and eating with my hands only. Vaporeon seemed hesitant at first,  
but after watching me gulp down bowl after bowl of food, it dove into a bowl of apples and   
started eating too.  
  
I really don't know how much food I consumed, but I caught various comments like, "What a  
pig!" and, "What is that thing?" in between gulps, so it must have been quite a bit. Eventually,  
someone tapped me on the shoulder while I worked on a basket of chicken.  
  
"Can't talk. Eating." I mumbled through mouthfuls of food. The basket of chicken quickly  
disappeared after that. I looked up angrily, ready to shock whoever just stole my food. It turned  
out to be a very large, very angry looking man who stood on the other side of the table.  
  
"Excuse me...sir..." he said in a threatening tone. "I hope you plan to pay for all   
that."   
  
"Uh...pay?" Now that I was stuffed with food, I could see there were price signs on all  
of the foods on the table. Prices that I couldn't pay...  
  
"Yes, pay. Even your kind...whatever you are...have to pay for my food."  
  
"Oh, pay!" I sounded confident, but really was about to bolt out at full speed. "Rai, let  
me just get my Vaporeon here,...Vaporeon, Water Gun Raichu!"  
  
"Vap? Vaporeon!" Vaporeon looked out of the bowl, confused for a second, but then shot  
a stream of water from it's mouth at the table owner. It hit him right in the face, temporaily  
blinding him as he cleared out his eyes. With that, I grabbed Vaporeon and hauled my tail outta  
there.  
  
I probably would've made it out without a hitch, had the table owner not been yelling,  
"Stop him! He's a coustume wearing theif!" That attracted a lot of unwanted attention, and a few  
people actually gave chase. I outran them easily, but I still needed a place to hide as a mob   
grew in size quickly.  
  
I lost a lot of ground at one point where I had to cross a busy section of highway. The   
cars were coming too fast for me to even dare trying to cross until the light changed, and by  
the time it did, the mob was almost on top of me.  
  
After making it across the street and turning a corner, I saw the city's Poke'mon Center.  
Praying that I could convince Joy and anyone else that happened to be there to let me stay, I ran  
through the double glass doors.  
  
"Joy, Rai...WHAA!" Two seconds after I ran in the door, I was tackled by ten little kids,  
none of them over the age of six. Some of them were petting my head, while others were yanking on  
my tail. Vaporeon escaped from my arms in the struggle, but I had to take the abuse, since I   
really didn't want to hurt any of them. On the plus side, I heard the mob go by while I was   
buried under the little bodies, so at least I lost them.  
  
"Kids! I have ice cream in the kitchen!" a familiar voice said. At the mention of ice  
cream, the kids forgot about me and ran off to the kitchen.  
  
"Thanks...JOY!" Geez, she surprised me! I scrambled to my feet and picked up Vaporeon.  
"Raichu, Joy, my name Chu Dan Gotem..."  
  
"I thought your company said all the entertainers were booked for the Spring Festival..."  
Joy said, looking confused.  
  
"Company?" I was as confused as her.  
  
"You're not from the entertainment company? Then, why the coustume?"  
  
"Rai don't know...oh, the company!" Great, I walk into the perfect cover and still almost  
manage to blow it! "My last party...let Chu early, so Rai came here."  
  
"Oh...what happened to your coustume? It's all damaged." she said, referring to the large  
holes in my clothes, the burnt away fur, and the fact that I was soaking wet.  
  
"Rai...Vaporeon has a little problem with Poke'mon Centers. Raichu found out Rai was   
taking him in for a checkup, he got a Raichu defensive."  
  
"Vaporeon? Eon, Vapor Vaporeon checkup?" Vaporeon asked. Thankfully, I don't think Joy  
got the impression anything was wrong.  
  
"Don't worry. There's nothing to be afraid of." Joy said soothingly, taking Vaporeon from  
me. To me, "Thank goodness you're here. Parents keep dropping off their kids with their Poke'mon,  
and expect me to take care of all of them. I'm too busy trying to keep them from breaking   
anything to care for any of the Poke'mon!"  
  
I nodded understandingly and went into the kitchen. While Joy took care of the Poke'mon  
for the next few hours, I took care of the kids...or rather, they took care of me. Like most  
little kids, they loved Poke'mon, and they enjoyed pretending to be all sorts of Poke'mon and  
wanted me to play with them.  
  
Did these kids have energy! If they weren't pretending to be Poke'mon or trying to yank  
out a piece of my fur, they were doing almost anything else. At least ten times I had to pull   
out kids who'd ran into the operating room or the recovery room before they woke up the Poke'mon  
trying to just get a little rest. Luckily, I always pulled them out just before the rather large  
Charmeleon that was healing from what looked like a tooth problem of some sort turned them to   
black cinders.  
  
The worst part of those few hours, though, was trying to keep my tail in one piece. Kids  
were always yanking on it or trying to do something with it. At one point, two kids even turned  
it into a jump rope. It was fine at first, since you only needed one person to swing it(as the  
other end was connected to the base of my spine), but when a girl missed her jump and landed   
full force on top of it, it took every ounce of self control I had not to instinctivly fry the   
kid.  
  
It was getting pretty late by the time the last of the kids finally left, a great relief  
for me. I'd collapsed on the couch in the lobby when I was finally down to one kid, totally worn   
out.  
  
"Are you sleepy?" the little girl asked.   
  
"Yes, Raichu tired..." I said, wiping the sweat off my forehead.  
  
"Oh." She paused for a moment, then said, "I know how to make you feel better."  
  
"How?" She climbed onto the couch, and before I could say anything, started scratching  
my head, right by the ears.  
  
"This makes my Pikachu feel better. Do you feel better?"  
  
Oddly enough, it did make me feel better. I let her keep it up for a while, just   
enjoying the feeling I was getting. It was like all life's problems were just floating away. Too  
bad she couldn't keep it up forever.   
  
Soon, I was starting to think like a real Raichu. Then again, what said she couldn't?   
I could go with her, be part of her team. She'd probably wants a Raichu anyway...I started   
rubbing my head against her, trying to get her to use both hands. Better yet, maybe I could get  
her to rub my stomach. Oh, if she did that...  
  
BEEEEPPP!  
  
"Sorry. My Mommy is here. I gotta go." With that, she hopped down and left. I felt really  
depressed now. Didn't she think I would be a good addition for her team? Didn't she think I was  
strong enough? Why did she turn me down...  
  
"Whoa!" Dan, what are you thinking? You're not a Raichu!, I told myself. I shook my head  
vigoriously, trying to shake the thoughts I just had. That's never happened before...it's like  
the human part of me just went into a brief coma, and a Raichu took control of my thoughts. It  
was way too creepy.  
  
"Joy?" I called out, getting up and walking behind the main desk. "Can Rai use the   
kitchen and make Chu dinner?"  
  
"Sure, but there isn't much here!" she called back.  
  
Boy, she wasn't kidding! Going into the kitchen, all I found was half a container of ice  
cream, a couple of T.V. dinners, 3/4 of a turkey, mayo, and two loaves of bread. I thought I was  
gonna starve! I microwaved all the dinners, one at a time, and made turkey sandwiches with  
everything else, saving the ice cream for dessert. It took a good hour to finish cooking   
everything, which seemed kinda pointless since I finished it all in ten minutes anyway. Despite  
my gorging, I was a gentleman and left Joy a dinner for herself.  
  
"Ah, here you are." Joy said as she came in, watching me throw out the last tray from the  
dinners. "I was just about to pay you...aren't you hot in that suit?"  
  
"Suit? Oh, no! It Raichu very well."  
  
"Um...do you have to talk like that? It's very distracting."  
  
"Like Rai? Oh..." Think fast, Gotem! "It...helps me stay Raichu a role, that's Chu."  
  
"Uh-huh..." Man, was that a lame excuse. Any second now, she was going to figure it all  
out, and then she'd call the cops on me, and then I'd be back in jail, and then...  
  
"O.K., if you say so." she said, shrugging. "Can you help me clean up?"  
  
I was so dumbfound that she actually bought my story that it she had to ask me again   
twice before I agreed to help. After we'd finished, Joy left to get the money for my work. While  
she did, I bought all my things to the trainer bedroom, getting ready to take a snooze. When Joy  
found me again, she seemed confused.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked.  
  
"Getting ready Chu sleep. Why?"  
  
"You can't stay here. This is a government building, and they're all closed for the   
festival. The Center is the only exception, and even then, it's only open during the day."  
  
"Raichu! Now where am Rai supposed to go?"  
  
"You don't have a place to stay? Not even a hotel room?"  
  
"No! Raichu from Pallet training. Rai just came Chu town toda...two weeks ago...and my room  
Raichu inn got rented out!"  
  
"Oh...if I'd known that..." We stood in silence for a few moments, neither of us sure what  
to do. Suddenly Joy spoke up. "Listen, why don't you stay at my house? It's right across the   
street, so no one will see you. Besides, all the hotels are probably booked for the festival   
anyway, and I can't just leave you out on the street, can I?"  
  
"Gee, thanks." I helped her close down, and she paid me for the day's work.(85 bucks?   
Could be better, could be worse.) After making sure everything else was locked down, Joy led  
me across the street to her home, offering me the couch for the night. Before I could say more  
than "Good night", she went to her room, claiming to be tired and not very hungry.  
  
I definitly was worried about Sara and everyone else, and while I thought I really should  
be looking for them as I got out my sleeping bag, logic told me to wait. After all, I'd just spent  
the last three days just trying to get here, without sleep. If I went out there now, I'd probably  
collapse with weariness before I got a block away. What good would I be then? I'd just have to  
hope that everyone would be O.K. till I could start looking for them again. First thing in the  
morning, I swore to myself. First thing in the morning, I'll find them.  
  
  
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I awoke around 7:30 next morning, the smell of fresh pancakes and bacon tickling at my   
nose. I rolled over to find just that piled high on the table next to me. Not hearing or seeing  
Joy anywhere, I figured that she made them for me. Not bothering with the fork and knife she'd  
left, I tried to eat slowly, but once the first few strips of bacon made it to my mouth, I went  
into my usual face stuffing. Joy walked in just as I finished up about five minutes later.  
  
"Wow. You didn't even wait for the juice..." she noted, setting a large glass of orange  
juice next to the now empty plate.  
  
"Rai was hungry." I said simply, taking the glass. "Thanks for everything."  
  
"Oh, it's no problem." she assured me. "Besides, how often to I get to have somebody over  
whose half Raichu?"  
  
It's a good thing she said that when she did, because if she'd waited another second, she  
would've said that when I would've had a mouthful of juice, probably ending in a spit take. I set   
the glass down and looked up at her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't worry. My cousin in Viridian told me all about you. I kind of guessed it was you  
when you first came into the Center, but I didn't say anything in case you were just an actor in  
a really good costume."  
  
"Rai...So this means Chu won't turn me Raichu police?"  
  
"Of course not! You didn't do anything wrong." She walked over to the window and glanced  
out quickly. "As long as you don't...oh my!"  
  
"What is Rai...whoa!" I went to look at what had startled Joy. When I saw the giant   
hole in the Center's wall, I quickly understood her surprise.  
  
"Oh no! I'd better call the police!" Joy rushed into the kitchen, probably looking for a  
phone.  
  
"Don't bother!" I told her, hearing police sirens heading in our direction. "Raichu   
already did."  
  
"Good!" Joy went into a nearby closet and got her coat. "Dan, stay here until I come back!"  
  
"Sure, where..." she rushed out the door before I could finish. Sighing, I took another  
look at the hole. It wasn't like someone just used a Machoke or something and broke a hole. It  
was way too neat, and the hole in an oval shape. It was like someone burned through it, but with  
what?  
  
I sat around in the house for a few hours while the police taped off the area and started  
interviewing everyone. I glanced out occasionally, but never for a long period of time in case   
someone saw me. I really wanted to get out and do some more searching, but the front door was  
the only way out, and even if I changed to human form for a little while, I'd be dead tired when  
time was up.  
  
Hours and hours passed. The police had left early in the afternoon, but there was no sign  
of Joy anywhere. I would've tried looking for her, but the police officers stationed outside the  
center kept me from doing so. Instead, I got another idea.  
  
Finding a VidPhone in the kitchen, I turned on the speed dial function and found what I  
was looking for. Confirming my selection, the phone rang a few times before someone picked up. I  
was careful not to turn the screen on, but when I heard the familiar voice, I snapped it on.  
  
"Hello, Viridian City Poke'mon Center. How can I help you?"  
  
"Hey Joy!" I said, seeing her on the monitor.   
  
"Oh, Dan! I'm surprised you called!" She looked around quickly before continuing, probably  
checking for trainers that might be coming in. "I see your still working on your...condition..."  
  
"It's alright." I assured her. "Rai are things down there since Rai left?"   
  
"Well, the police are still looking for you, but right now, they're not having much luck.  
They can't get any evidence you did anything, and their case got laughed right out of court."  
  
"What case?"  
  
"That's what I mean. Do you remember that woman who claimed you attacked her? She failed  
a polygraph(a lie detector test, simply) about the incident, and few people are beliving the idea  
of a creature that's half-human and half-Poke'mon. On top of that, the entire force is under  
investigation for burtality, so that hurts them even more."  
  
"Well, Raichu to them."  
  
"Where are you anyway?"  
  
"In Vermilion City, at your Raichu house. By the way, why did Chu tell her about me?"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Yeah, she said Chu told her Raichu me. Why?"  
  
"I...I haven't breathed a word of it to anyone! I swear!"  
  
"Well, then how does Raichu about me?"  
  
"I don't know. Honestly, I never said anything to anyone!"  
  
"Raichu? Well, Raichu talk to her when Chu gets back..."  
  
"Uh-oh..." Joy sounded worried. "She not there? Or at the Center?"  
  
"No. Is Rai a problem?"  
  
"Um...look, can you keep a secret?"  
  
"Sure. What's up?"  
  
That's when I learned about Joy's addiction. It wasn't drugs or booze, thankfully, but   
something even more expensive. How so? About $1200 a day!  
  
"...and one time, when the clerk asked her if she had enough, she reached across the   
counter, grabbed him by the shirt, pulled him so they were face to face, and said 'I'll tell you  
when I've had enough!'"  
  
"Whoa..."  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
It was about 10 p.m. when Joy finally came in, her arms loaded with small boxes. I stood  
by the stairs, waiting for her.  
  
"Chu were out again." I said. She jumped three feet when I said that. One of the boxes   
fell from her arms and hit the floor, causing a shattering sound.  
  
"No..." she gently put down the other boxes and picked up the fallen one, shaking it. You  
could easily tell by the noise it made that it was broken. "My...baby..."  
  
"Joy, get a grip. Chu have a problem. Chu need help."  
  
"Problem? What...what problem?" she stammered, picking up the other boxes and trying to  
go to her room. I quickly moved in front of the door to stop her.  
  
"Raichu told me all about it. Joy, Chu need help..."  
  
"Dan, I'm fine. Please, just let me go!"  
  
"Really?" I grabbed a box from her arm and dropped it on the floor. It hit with a   
shattering crash.  
  
"What did you do that for?" she exclaimed.  
  
"Because I'm ending this." I grabbed another box and dropped it too. It also shattered. I   
did this two more times. Just as I was about to drop the fifth one, she gave in.  
  
"Please, stop! You're hurting my babies!"  
  
"Babies? Joy, Raichu just..."  
  
"I know what they are!" She yelled. "They're my children, you...you..."  
  
"Children? Joy, Raichu not even living!"  
  
"I...I..." I picked up one of the boxes and dumped out the contents. The jeweled egg  
fragments fell to the floor. Joy's eyes started to fill with tears.  
  
"Please, stop!" she begged.  
  
"Only when Chu admit Chu have a problem." I grabbed another box with a shattered Faberge  
egg and dumped it on the floor. "Look at all Raichu pieces...Have Chu ever seen so many?"  
  
"No...no, stop!" she begged. I ignored her and dumped out more pieces from the third box.  
As I opened the fourth one, she finally cracked. "O.K.! I have a problem! Please, just stop!"  
  
I closed the box and placed it on the ground, taking the remaining boxes from her. She   
numbly allowed me to place them on the ground, seemingly worn out.  
  
"See? Was that Rai hard?" She sniffed a few times before she broke into tears.   
  
"You...You have no...idea...what I...I...feel Chansey." Joy gasped between sobs.  
  
"Chansey? Joy, are Chu..." That's when I noticed her skin. It was turning bright pink!  
  
Joy fell to her knees, seemingly oblivibious to her skin color change. I took a few steps  
back, not exactly sure what was going to happen.  
  
There was a tearing sound, and a short pink tail shot out from Joy's dress. A Chansey's  
tail. I couldn't believe it! A Chansey Hybrid? Who'd of thought...  
  
Looking closely, I could Joy's hair was growing out at the sides rapidly. It quickly grew  
till it looked like she had the bangs that Chansey's also have, just made of human hair. That   
part didn't scare me. What did was watching her hands melt into a pink goo that totally covered her  
arms. From there, it smoothed and reshaped her arms till they looked like human sized Chansey arms.  
  
"Uggh..." I moaned, trying to hold in my lunch. Just when I thought the worst was over,  
Joy's dress started to get tighter around her stomach. It didn't stop growing until it looked like  
Joy looked like she was about nine months pregnant!  
  
She slowly got to her feet, the change completed. Now I could get a really good look at her.  
Chansey shaped, human sized arms, bangs made of her own hair, three on each side of her head,  
pink human legs and face, one large stomach, and a pink tail finished off the complete Chansey  
Hybrid.  
  
"This," she sniffed, "is my problem."  
  
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I know, I know, it's late, but hey, better late than never, right?" (Dead silence. Eventually  
someone coughs in the backround.) O.K. then...I promise, by everything that is good, though, I  
will have Chp. 8 by Sunday! Tell your friends, and please, for the love of humanity, review!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. You Can Never be Too Careful

Alright, I promised another chapter by Sunday, and I'm not breaking my promise to my readers.  
Also, I'm still always looking for new ideas from my readers, so send 'em in!  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Chp.8- One can never be too careful.  
  
  
  
"Joy, Rai...Rai..." I was at a total loss for words. Of every kind of Hybrid there could  
be, I'd have to find a Chansey Hybrid! There was nothing wrong with that, of course, but...you  
just don't think it could ever happen!  
  
"Can you give me a second?" Joy asked. "I'd be a little more comfortable in something   
else."  
  
"Chu, yeah, sure..." I let her go into her room, still shell-shocked at what had just  
happened.  
  
I couldn't tell much at the time, but there were definitly some obvious things about   
Joy. One was that she must have had one heck of a time trying to hide that and keep up her job!  
Another was that this must have started a while ago. Joy was able to hold her human form for  
more than half a day, and like I'd learned from Misty, she had to have a lot of experience with  
this.  
  
I wondered what exactly her special abilites were, if any. I mean, Sara can cough fire  
like a Vulpix, I can use electricity like a Raichu, but what exactly do Chanseys do, anyway?   
Other than being good nurses, there's not exactly a lot they can do. Oh well, I guess I'll figure  
out soon enough.  
  
Joy came out of her room, wearing a large sweater, jeans and carrying in her arms an egg   
that looked like it came from a man-sized Pidgey. She was a little clumsy with it, as her arms no  
longer had elbows or hands, so she couldn't really grab or caradle it in her arms.  
  
"Can you put this over there?" She motioned over to the couch. " I don't want to lose   
this, but it's akward to carry around."  
  
"O.K." I took the giant egg, noticing that the large bulge at her stomach was gone,   
though there was a bit of a bump still. A pouch, I realized. That was the egg in a pouch. Knowing  
Joy's potential to go ballistic if it broke, I handled the egg very carefully, not even daring to  
drop it an inch. Needless to say, we were both very relieved when I got it safe and sound on the  
couch.  
  
"Thank you. If anything ever happened to my baby..."  
  
"Rai, Joy. That egg won't Chu hatch, like all Raichu other eggs Chu bought." I said. "If  
Chu don't mind me asking, why do Chu think of eggs as Chu babies?"  
  
"To be honest..." Joy looked down at the ground like a little kid who'd just been caught  
with her hand in the cookie jar when it wasn't supposed to be, and now she was getting yelled at,  
"I don't really know. They're just so beautiful...when I think about what it must be like, safe  
and sound inside an egg, it just makes me feel good. I know that must sound really silly to   
you..."  
  
Yeah!  
  
"Not really." I lied. Now was not the best time to get on Joy's case. We stood in silence  
for a minute before I asked. "When did it start for..."  
  
"Years ago. Out of the blue, I was taking care of a really fussy Raticate that just   
wouldn't sit still long enough for me to give it a check-up, and it was really fustrating. Just   
when I thought I'd pop, this happened."  
  
"Rai. Listen, were Chu ever hurt by an odd Poke'mon? One Rai might have looked sick?"  
  
"Hurt? Sure, plenty of times, but never anything out of the oridnary."  
  
Hmm, just like Sara. No weird injuries like me or Misty, just pure anger. Man, if I could  
only get a common link between us, maybe I could get some way to find a cure. So far, though,   
nothing.  
  
"So, Joy...why'd Chu lie? Why didn't Chu just tell me Chu were a Hybrid?" I asked.  
  
"I'm sorry. It's just that...well, this isn't exactly normal, and it's a bit embarassing.  
I never really thought you'd find out."  
  
"That Raichu thing. How did Chu find out about me?"  
  
"A tabalod paper. The front page had a sketch of what you looked like, and there was a two  
page story about the entire incident. Hold on a second, I might still have it." She disappeared   
into the kitchen for a minute, then came back with it laid out across her arm. "Here it is."  
  
I took the paper and looked at it. The sketch was accurate, and may have even been a   
mirror image of myself, if it weren't for the five-inch fangs coming out of my mouth. Finding the  
page of the story, I flipped to it and skimmed it. Basically, it outlined everything that had  
happened from the police forces point of view, from my "attack" on the woman to my escape. When  
asked why the police couldn't just bring out a picture of me, they had this to say.  
  
"The creature we had in custody hated bright lights, and when exposed to the sun, he went  
ballistic. We feared for the publics safety, so we never got any pictures."  
  
"How Raichu are these people?" I asked no one in paticular. "Rai like the sun, and it was  
a cloudy day, anyway. Raichu no way for anyone to see the sun. The picture...the Raichu never   
took one. That's why they didn't Chu one!"  
  
Joy nodded. "I thought that story was a bit of a strech. They made it sound like you were  
more like a vampire than anything else."  
  
"Rai..." If Sara saw that, I'd wondered what she'd think of me. Of course I'd never know  
if I didn't find her. Who knows what she do...  
  
"Dan, are you alright? I sense your upset about something important."  
  
"Rai...Wait, how'd Chu know Rai was upset?"  
  
"Like I said, I just sensed it." Seeing my confused look, she shrugged(or at least tried   
to. It's kinda hard to do without elbows). "It's just something I can do, like a radar. The more  
upset a person is or the closer they are, the easier it is for me to pick it up. I don't know any  
specfics about why they're upset, but I'm usually in the ballpark."  
  
"Rai almost afraid to ask who Chu practiced on."  
  
"Poke'mon, mostly. Some of them are more comfortable seeing a half-human, half-Poke'mon  
being than a full human. I never really figured it out myself, but if it..."  
  
"Wait, Chu can sense when people Rai upset?" She nodded. A plan slowly started to form  
in my head. It was a long shot, but also all I really had to work with.  
  
"Joy, Rai need Raichu help."  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you were looking for a Nidoran?" Joy asked after I finished my  
story.  
  
"Rai,..."  
  
"Someone bought one in two days ago. They said they'd found the ball lying on the ground,  
so they bought it to the Center."  
  
"Raichu kidding? A male one?"   
  
Joy nodded. "We can go over right now and get it."  
  
"Thanks." Alright, one down, two to go! After I got the key to the Center, we went across  
the street to unlock it. We didn't bother to change our shape, mainly because it was late, and no  
one was out. We went into the back in the Poke'Ball storage room. Joy pointed out Nidoran, then  
left to go check on the other Poke'mon who she hadn't gotten around to giving their check-ups.  
I opened it after Joy left, and Nidoran soon materialized in front of me.  
  
"Nido..." he was growling the second he came out, looking rather unhappy and tense.  
  
"Nidoran, calm down! Rai me!" I knelt down next to Nidoran and gently stroked the back of  
his head, trying to calm him down.  
  
"Nido?" He seemed confused by my gentle approach, until he looked up to see who was   
stroking him. He smiled and quickly relaxed when he saw me. "Ran!"  
  
"Hey, nice to see Chu too. Rai hope Chu didn't think Rai abandoned Chu."  
  
"Nido." He shook his head, which made me feel better. After what his last trainer did to  
him, I kinda worried that he'd loose his faith in me.  
  
I explained to him what had happened since we last talked, which was before dinner the   
night Railina came into my tent. Nidoran seemed kinda surprised when I mentioned that I'd found  
another Hybrid, and even more surprised that I'd found a fourth. To prove it to him, I found Joy  
in the room where those incubators are kept. You've seen them; they look like the incubators a  
newborn baby is put in. After Nidoran got done gawking at Joy, I explained the rest of the story,  
and mentioned that I'd caught a Vaporeon. Nidoran seemed like he wanted to meet Vaporeon, so I  
asked Joy where he was.  
  
"Dan, this is hard to explain." She looked over to one of the empty incubators before  
going on. "Your Vaporeon, is, well...missing."  
  
"Missing? How could he be missing?!"  
  
"I don't know! The police dusted and looked all over the place for clues, but they never  
found anything out of the ordinary that would mean someone broke in, besides the hole. As best as I   
can tell, your Vaporeon Chansey got out and ran away."  
  
Dang! I knew I shouldn't have trusted him! After muttering a few choice words under my  
breath, I told Joy not to worry about it. I had bigger things to worry about, like finding Sara  
and Bulbasaur.  
  
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Joy asked after I explained my plan again to make   
sure that we had everything straight.  
  
"Not really," I confessed, "but what else can Rai do?"  
  
Depending on how you looked at it, my plan was either a stroke of brillance or the   
stupidest thing you'd ever heard. Basically, me and Joy were going to go on a little tour of the  
city. If my guess was right, Sara would be feeling even worse about being a Hybrid now that she   
was alone in a giant city. Assuming that was true, I was going to have Joy try to pick up on  
where Sara was by her fear and worry about what was happening to her.   
  
Needless to say, there were a few problems with my plan. Since Joy can't easily tell one  
persons emotions from another, it would be hard to pick out Sara in a large area full of people,  
like a residental area. Plus, if she was unconcious, asleep, or in the worst case scenario, dead,  
she wouldn't be alert, and therefore Joy wouldn't be able to find her. Still, this was all I  
had to work with, so I had to at least try.  
  
We searched the most obvious places to find Sara; hospitals, police stations, abandoned  
buildings, hotels and inns. We didn't get any really upset feelings anywhere except the hospital.  
However, Joy reminded me people don't go to a hospital to have fun, so that kinda killed that   
idea, especially since it would be suicide to try and get in.  
  
The sun started to rise, so we headed back to Joy's house to recover and try to get some  
sleep. Along the way, we passed the Vermilion City Gym. Suddenly Joy stopped and stared at it,  
looking very concerned.  
  
"What is Rai?" I asked.  
  
"I just felt something. Someone in there is feeling really bad. It feels like they're in  
pain."  
  
"Pain? What kind of pain?  
  
As if on cue, a sudden scream penetrated the quiet of the night, the quickness and force  
of the yell so great that my ears started to hurt. You didn't need my super-sensitive ears to tell  
where it was coming from.  
  
"I'd say physical pain!" Joy yelped.  
  
"Raichu!" I ran to the gym and tried all the doors. They were all locked tight. I looked  
for a ladder to the roof, like the Curelan gym. Nothing. All of the windows were closed, and too  
high off the ground for me to open.  
  
"Hello?" I yelled. "Are Chu alright?!" Another scream told me no.  
  
"Dan, I hate to rush you, but we have company!"  
  
"Rai hear them." I said, listening to the wailing of sirens in the distance. I looked at  
the gym for a few more seconds before joining Joy in running to a nearby alleyway. I followed her  
through the confusing maze of backways to her home. We were both totally out of breath by the   
time we made it back.  
  
"What...was that?" Joy gasped as I unlocked the door to the house.  
  
"Rai...don't know." was all I could say. We went in, and Joy went straight to her room,   
saying she was going to try and get some sleep. Like me, though, I doubt she ever would.  
  
The Center had to be open in a few hours, and I assumed now that it was going to be open  
again, Joy was going to need me to keep the kids entertained. I'd tried to sleep, but I just  
couldn't. With everything that had been happening lately on my mind, and the scream still echoing  
in my mind, I just couldn't relax. After a few slow hours of watching early morning T.V., I released   
Nidoran so I'd have someone to talk to.  
  
"Nido...Nido..."  
  
Great, he was asleep too! Ah well, he deserved it. Thirsty, I went into the kitchen and  
found a large bottle of Dr. Pepper. I drank straight from the bottle, not wanting to waste time   
with a glass. About halfway through it, Nidoran started mumbling something in his sleep. I passed  
it off as sleep talk and kept drinking. It slowly got louder and more frequent, until...  
  
"NIDORAN!"  
  
I almost drowned in soda, coughing it all over the place. Snorting once to clear out the  
soda that went into my nose, I rushed to check on Nidoran. He was looking around frantically,   
sweat pouring out all over his body. Someone or something must have scared the living daylights  
out of him.  
  
"Nidoran, calm down! Rai was just a bad dream, that's all!" I knelt down and picked him  
up, holding him against my chest. He was shaking pretty badly, and now his sweat was starting to  
get all over me. How could I get him to calm down? Hey, maybe a joke would work. Jokes always   
help to break up tension.  
  
"Nidoran, Rai glad to see Chu trying to learn Earthquake, but Chu supposed to make the  
quake Raichu outside of Chu body, not inside."  
  
"Ran?" Apparently Nidoran didn't get it. Why doesn't anyone get my jokes?  
  
I kept Nidoran against me for a better part of an hour before he wore himself out and   
drifted off to sleep again. Joy came out a few hours later, human and ready for work. She told  
me to stay and keep out of sight, but I watched the kids come pouring in, and realized she'd   
need help, so I wandered over. The kids were happy to see me again, though some were a little  
afraid of Nidoran, who I refused to put back in his ball, even as he slept.  
  
I kept the kids entertained for a while, and when Nidoran woke, he helped with the kids  
that weren't afraid to go near him. The kids were less active today than yesterday, and I found  
out why. There was going to be a tournement tomorrow for Poke'mon trainers who couldn't get  
licenses yet because they were too young. When I learned that it was going to be held at the   
Vermilion Gym, I wondered again about whoever was screaming in there last night, and if they were  
alright.  
  
Almost all of the kids were having their Poke'mon checked out for the tournement. One   
girl in paticular caught my attention. In her arms, she held a Raichu, who seemed to be none too  
pleased with it's current position, and looked like it was trying to escape. The girl also wore  
rubber gloves, as if she was afraid of being attacked by her Poke'mon.  
  
"Nurse Joy?" The little girl said, "My Raichu won't go in a ball. I'm worried something's  
wrong with it."  
  
"Well, that's not right." Joy agreed. "Let me go get some gloves, and then I'll help you."  
  
Joy left, and I wandered over, intrested by this Raichu. When I asked her how she caught  
the Raichu, she admitted she didn't. Her father had knocked it out, but when he went to catch it,  
the ball just bounced off it. Everyone of his Poke'Balls just bounced off it and did nothing, so  
he told his daughter to get her mothers dishwashing gloves. From there, they drove over here to  
get it checked out.  
  
"Raichu!" The Raichu seemed happy to see me. It probably just liked me because I look  
a bit like a Raichu, but I asked if I could hold it anyway. The little girl agreed, and I held  
Raichu in my hands. "Raichu!"  
  
"Hey, Rai nice to see Chu too." I said. My nose started to tickle, and I sniffed to clear  
it. Great, the last thing I need is a cold...wait, that scent. It smelt familiar, but not just  
because it was a Raichu. I'd smelt this exact scent before. Where...uh-oh.  
  
"Railina? Is that Chu?"  
  
"Rai!" she said with a smile. I told the little girl I'd take her in the back to Joy, and  
while I did, I asked Railina how she got here. After about two minutes of arm waving and chatter  
I got very little of, I asked if she'd been teleported, since it occured to me that if that weird  
guy had known about me and Sara, he'd probably know about Railina too. She nodded in response.  
  
"Joy, Rai think Rai found the problem!" I called out, finding her in one of the exam  
rooms. "Rai know this Raichu personally. Rai trained."  
  
"It's trained?" I set Railina down on the exam table. "How long ago was it last in a ball?"  
  
"Rai don't know, a few days?"  
  
"Hmm...it should still go in a ball, unless..." Joy went to a drawer, pulled out a pair   
of tweezers, and started to search through Railina's fur. She withdrew a small metal rod, no  
bigger than a pine needle, within thirty seconds.  
  
"Chu is that?"  
  
"A SafetyRod. It for when a Poke'mon gets seperated from it's trainer. Whenever a ball  
hits the Poke'mon, the rod lets out a small EMP to disable the ball. The ball it was originally  
in is set to a special frequancy that keeps that from happening, so it can be recalled easily.  
As you might have guessed, there's a different frequancy for each rod."  
  
"Cool." Joy replaced the rod in Railina's fur, and I took out my empty Poke'Ball. Giving  
it a little underhand toss, I bounced it off Railina's head. It hit her harmlessly and rolled   
off onto the floor.  
  
"Hey, that...Rai?" I'd just started to think maybe I should get one for my own Poke'mon  
when I started to glow bright red. Looking down, I saw my Poke'Ball now open, emitting a red beam  
that was now surrounding me. It took a few seconds for me to realize what was happening, and by  
then, it was too late...  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"JOY!!"  
  
"Nido?!" I called out, hearing my trainers yelling. *Dan?!*  
  
Ignoring the little humans who kept trying to bother me, I ran into the back. I quickly  
found Joy and a Raichu staring down in shock at a Poke'Ball shaking on the floor. Hey, wasn't that  
mine?  
  
"Nidoran, Nido Nido?" *What's going on, and where's my trainer?*  
  
"Raichu..." *I don't believe it...*  
  
"I...I never thought it could happen..." Joy said in something that sounded like a mix of  
fear and amazement.  
  
"Nidoran?!" I demanded. *What happened?!*  
  
"I thought the human DNA would keep that from happening..."  
  
"NIDORAN?!" *WHAT FROM HAPPENING?!*   
  
"Chu..." *Dan...*  
  
"Nidoran..." Joy said slowly. "Your trainer...just captured himself."  
  
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Bet you didn't see that coming! As always, please read and review. I'll try to get the ninth   
chapter up before Thrusday, but I got to go back to school tomorrow, so I make no promises. For   
now on, I think I'll end my summaries with a quote, funny, serious or otherwise, so here it is!  
  
"It's a simple wooden chair...or is it?"  
  
Tony Jones, Universal Magi 


	9. Little Girl Lost

Sorry, but like I feared, I wasn't able to get this up by Thursday. It's been a hard week, but  
it's the weekend soon, so I'll have plenty of time to work on this Saturday. Anyway, enough about  
me. Here's Chapter Nine!  
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Chapter 9- Little Girl Lost  
  
*WHAT?!*  
  
*It captured him! He was seeing how this thing that keeps other trainers from stealing  
me worked, so he tossed a Poke'Ball at me. It bounced off and rolled onto the ground. It must've  
hit his foot or something, because it sucked him in!* the Raichu explained to me.  
  
*NO!* I yelled. I ran over to the shaking ball, trying to open it with my paw. As soon as  
I touched it, a bolt of electricity shocked me and knocked me back. It was a pretty powerful   
shock, because it knocked me back through the open door and into the wall about ten feet across  
from it!  
  
*Ow...I don't recommend anyone else book that flight...* I moaned, rolling back to my   
feet. I wasn't hurt badly, just a little banged up. Joy got the idea from my example and put on a   
pair of special gloves that looked like the ones that girl with the Raichu was wearing. They must  
protect humans from electricity.  
  
She picked up the ball, which was now surrounded with rings of electricity. She pressed  
the button that would normally open the ball, but this time, nothing happened. The ball just  
continued to shake in her hand.  
  
"It's not opening...now what?" Joy asked.  
  
The Raichu and I were both clueless. What else could be done? We'd just have to hope he  
broke out. As long as the ball kept shaking, at least we could be sure he was still fighting.  
We sat in silence for a minute before there was a loud crash from outside.  
  
"Oh no, the kids!" Joy suddenly rushed out. I could hear her talking and trying to calm   
the kids down, to no avail. There was silence for a moment, then I heard the sound of fabric   
tearing. The next I knew, the sound of singing filled the air.  
  
"Chansey...Chansey, Chansey Chan..."  
  
*What's going...on...* I yawned, my eyelids suddenly getting too heavy to hold open.   
  
*It's...a...Sing..atta...* The Raichu never even got the chance finish as she fell and  
started to doze off. I was only a second behind her.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!"  
  
"Nido!" *Ahh!* All that screaming woke me from my slumber. I looked around quickly and   
realized I was back in Joy's house. Hopping down off the couch, I ran towards the source of the   
screams and ended up in the garage of the house.  
  
The first thing I noticed was Dan, still in Hybrid form, on the ground. It took me another  
second or two to realize he was the one doing all the screaming. He was thrashing about on the   
ground, creating a lot of noise. Looking up, I saw Joy standing next to a work bench that had my   
Poke'Ball, which was now smashed into little pieces. When I saw the mallet in her hand, I figured   
out what happened.  
  
"Dan, calm down! You're out!" She put aside the mallet and held my trainer, trying to calm  
him down, but he continued to scream and thrash about. "It's O.K.! You're safe!"  
  
I didn't believe what happened next. Since Dan refused to listen, Joy rose her hand and...  
  
WHACK!  
  
"Ran!" *Hey!*  
  
She slapped him! She just slapped him right across the face! While I stood there in shock,  
Dan stopped screaming and calmly sat up, rubbing his cheek.  
  
"Ow..." he muttered, looking around. "What happened?"  
  
"You were screaming loud enough to wake the dead, that's what happened!" Joy said, helping  
him to his feet.  
  
"I know that, but..." he shuddered like he'd gotten a sudden chill. "All I remember is  
the ball bouncing off my foot, and then it got really dark and quiet. I starting getting scared,  
so I just kicked and bit and...how long was I in there?"  
  
"A few hours, I guess. Come on, you must be starving." Joy had to help him move around a  
little at first. I guess all that fighting must have really worn him out. Once he was laid out on  
the couch, Joy went into the kitchen, and I hopped up onto his lap.  
  
Now, some of you may be asking, "If he's in Hybrid form, why isn't he speaking a little  
like a Raichu anymore?". The answer is simple; he is. Many people who asked that question are  
forgetting one thing, and that's why they're confused. I'm a trained Poke'mon, so I was taught   
to understand both English and Poke'mon speech, which Dan mixes together when he talks. While I  
hear him say, "Rai know that, but..." I still understand exactly what he says, so to save some  
time and aggrevation, I'm providing the whole translation in English. (You'd better appricate it,  
too! Poke'mon spend a lot of time understanding human languages, yet you don't spend any time to  
learn ours. How would you feel if the roles were reversed?!)  
  
"Nidoran, Nido?" *Are you alright?*  
  
"Hey Nidoran. I hope I didn't scare you too much with all that." Dan reached back and  
scratched the back of my head. I don't really know why he does that. Maybe it makes him feel  
better or something, but it doesn't really do anything for me.  
  
"Nidoran! Ran Nidoran Nido, Ran Ran!" I said sarcasticlly. *Of course not! I should be   
used to finding my trainer in a Poke'Ball!*  
  
"Hmm..." He stopped scratching and seemed to be thinking about something. Finally, he   
said, "Nidoran, is it always like that in a Poke'Ball? Is it always so dark and creepy?"  
  
"Nidoran, Ran..." *At first, but..."  
  
"Does it always make you think you're all alone? That's how I felt when I was in there..."  
  
"Nidoran, Ran Nido..." *At first, but it gets...*  
  
"If you don't want to, I won't put you in one again."  
  
"Nidoran,..." *It's really not...*  
  
"Here you go." For the third time, I was inturrupted, but this time by Joy. She bought in  
a pot of soup and a box of crackers. "It's just for starters, but everything else is going to  
take a while to cook."  
  
"Nidoran! Ran Nido, Nidoran Ran!" I yelled. *Listen to me! It's only like that when you're  
about to be caught!*  
  
"Thanks Joy." To me, Dan asked, "You say something, Nidoran?"  
  
"RAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNN!" *AGGGGGGGGGGGUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHH!*  
  
"Hey, what are you getting all excited about?"  
  
Ah, forget it. No one understands me totally anyway. Dan asked Joy if she could get him  
a regular bowl. She did, and he poured some of the soup into it before giving it to me. Hey, at  
least he shares.   
  
After a large meal that the three of us barely got all down, Joy asked if they should go  
out and try looking for Sara. Dan said he did, but first he wanted to stop by the gym and see if  
they could find out who was yelling in there last night, unless the paper said something about   
what happened.  
  
"Nope. Nothing about it, other that the police were called to check out someone making   
noise at the gym." Joy said, after scanning the paper for any stories. It was dark out now, so  
we quickly left after that.  
  
Upon reaching the gym, we searched high and low for a way into the building. There were no  
windows or doors that we could use to get in. I, however, found an alternative enterance.  
  
"Nidoran!" *Over here!*  
  
"What is it Nidoran?" They ran over and examined what I found. It was a small hole, on  
level with the ground. It was definitly small; even I could barely squeeze through. It was round,  
and smelt really bad.  
  
"It's just like the hole at the Center." Joy noted, running a pink arm along the hole.   
(She went to Hybrid form before we'd left.)  
  
"You're right. Still, only something small could fit through there, and what we heard was  
definitly human." Dan looked down at me. "Would you mind checking it out, Nidoran? Just don't wake  
up Lt. Surge, or we'll all be in real trouble."  
  
"Nido." *Sure.* I squeezed through the hole and found myself in the basement. Quickly  
seeing there was nothing intresting down there, I hopped up the stairs one at a time and through  
the door at the top, which someone had left open.  
  
Finding myself in the kitchen, I went through the nearby hallway and followed it into the  
battle arena. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. I started to wonder if there was anyone around.  
  
"Nidoran? Nidoran?" I called out. *Hello? Anyone here?* No one answered. I walked into   
another hallway, finding a door partially open. I nudged it open to see what was inside.  
  
I tensed up when I saw the person laying still, but I realized they were asleep and   
relaxed. It was dark, so I really couldn't see a lot. The floor was littered with various items;  
books, clothes, that sort of thing. Whoever the sleeper was, they weren't very neat.  
  
I was about to leave before I woke the sleeper when something caught my attention.   
Something long and thick was poking out from under the covers, mostly laying on the floor.   
Despite what little I know for certain about humans, they don't have anything that big. I snuck  
over carefully to get a better look at this odd body part.  
  
Still not able to get a great look at it, I tried to figure out what exactly this was. It  
felt cold, almost like ice. It was mostly smooth like skin, but parts of it were very stiff and  
rigid, and unless I was mistaken, it split down near the end. I couldn't see a color in the  
darkness, which sure didn't help.  
  
Suddenly the sleeper rolled over, pulling whatever I was studying along with it. I bolted  
out of the room, running on pure adreniline. I ran back through the arena, through the kitchen, down   
into the basement and out through the little hole, running about another hundred feet before I   
stopped.  
  
"Nidoran! What happened?" Dan asked when he finally caught up to me. I explained what I  
found quickly, still a little scared. He didn't seem to get much of it, but Joy translated   
everything I said for him.  
  
"Do you have any idea what he saw?" Dan asked Joy. She shook her head in response.  
  
We didn't stay long to think it over. Joy suggested that maybe we should just leave   
whatever it was alone. Besides, she pointed out, even if they called the police to report it, who'd   
believe them? Plus, they'd have to explain what they were doing there in the first place, which  
would be kinda bad.   
  
I followed them around for the next few hours, as Joy smashed the only Poke'Ball Dan had.  
Besides, after what'd happened to him, I don't think he could bring himself to putting me in one,  
even though it's not really that bad. Sure, it can kinda lonely, and I still need to be fed, but  
other than that...  
  
"Anything Joy?"   
  
"Nothing."  
  
...of course, sometimes I'd rather be in a ball than walking around all the time and   
wearing myself out. After several unsuccessful hours of this, we finally started back for Joy's  
house. We all fell asleep soon after we walked in the door, for various reasons. Dan and I were  
worn out, me from all the walking and him from having to fight out of a Poke'Ball for hours and  
hours. Joy needed to be rested for all the kids who would be coming in with last minute needs.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Nidoran! Wake up!"  
  
"Nido?" *Huh?* I blinked and looked around, still half asleep. I was in a forest...a   
familiar forest...and that voice...  
  
"Nidoran, you stupid Poke'mon! Wake up!"   
  
That tone of voice was definitly familiar. I rose to my feet and moaned. I didn't want to  
do this again.   
  
"About time! Come on, your in a practice battle, and you better do good!"  
  
Who was I battling? I didn't see anyone, and I sure can't fight what I can't see.  
  
"Nidoran...RAN!" *Who am I...OW!* Out of nowhere, a Rhydon stampeded in behind me and  
knocked me about fifty feet with a Horn Attack before I crashed into a tree trunk.  
  
"You're supposed to be ready for anything!" my old trainer yelled.   
  
"Nidoran Nido, Ran!" I yelled. *Why don't you come here and say that!* I painfully rolled  
to my feet and looked for the trainer who had done nothing but yell at me since he caught me...but  
I couldn't see him. He wasn't anywhere to be seen. His voice...it was all around me! He was yelling  
at me from everywhere!  
  
"RHHHYYYYYYY!!!" The Rhydon roared before charging again. I barely had time to roll out of  
the way and avoid being impaled!  
  
"Nidoran!" *That was close!* I charged and tried a Tackle Attack. Too late, I realized that  
normal attacks don't do well on rock-types. I smashed head-first into the rock scales, heard   
something crack, then stumbled back, my horn hurting badly, or what was left of it.  
  
"Nido..." *My horn...* The tip of my horn had seperated from the rest of it when I hit,  
and now laid on the ground in a jagged piece. It was quickly turned to pieces when Rhydon stepped  
on it and crushed it.  
  
Rhydon charged again, and there was no way for me to avoid it this time. I didn't get   
impaled, but ended up on the rounded part of his horn, right in the front. I hung on for dear life  
while Rhydon continued to charge forward. Too late, I realized what was going to happen.  
  
CRUNCH!  
  
"RAAANNNN!!!" *AHHHHHHHH!!!* Rhydon charged right into a tree, squeezing me between a rock  
and a hard place. Neither the tree nor the giant Poke'mon crushing me yeilded, fighting only harder.  
I couldn't breathe...too much...pain...needed...air...  
  
"Your worthless!" was the only thing I heard above my bones snapping and bending in two.  
  
"Nido..." *No...* Those were the last words I ever spoke...  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"NIDDDDDDDDDOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" *NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!*  
  
I woke up frantically, gasping for air. I looked around frantically, making sure I wasn't  
still dreaming. No, I assured myself when I saw Dan laying on the couch, clutching at his ears.  
I'm awake...it was just a dream. An awful, awful dream...  
  
"Nidoran, are you alright?" Dan asked when he was done covering his ears.  
  
"Nido, Ran..." *Yeah, fine...*  
  
"Alright, you. Come here." He picked me up and held me against his chest. I was a little   
shaken up, but I tried not to show it, even as I shook against him. "That's the second night in a  
row you woke up screaming like that. I want to know what's going on here."  
  
"Nidoran Ran Nido." *They're just bad dreams.*   
  
"I'm willing to bet that this has something to do what's been happening lately. Is that  
right?"  
  
"Nido." I shook my head. *No.*   
  
"It's not?" He was silent for a while. I thought he'd went back to sleep when he spoke   
again. "What about you're last trainer? Is that bothering you?"  
  
"Nido...Ran, Nidoran Ran..." *No...it's not that at all...*  
  
"Why don't you just tell me what it is that's bothering you so much? Even though I   
probably won't understand a lot of it, it'll make you feel better anyway."  
  
"Nidoran Ran." *That sounds dumb.*  
  
"Come on, Nidoran. I'm not letting you go anywhere until you tell me."  
  
This was really dumb! I didn't want to say what was happening, that's all. I struggled a  
little, but Dan held me against him and kept me from leaving.  
  
"Nidoran, Nido Nido? Ran! Nidoran Nido Nido, Ran Nidoran Ran!" I yelled. *You want to   
know what's bothering me? Yeah! I'm a little upset about my last trainer, and you would be too,   
after what he did to me!*  
  
He didn't say anything for a minute. How much he understood, I had no clue. I didn't  
really feel that much better like Dan said I would. Finally he spoke again.  
  
"Nidoran, I'm sorry I can't understand everything you say, but that doesn't mean I don't  
care about you. Sometimes, you just need someone to talk to, even if the person your talking to  
doesn't totally understand you. I know it sounds kinda dumb, but sometimes it's just better to  
know that someone is actually listening to you. I should know. When I broke something or knew I   
was going to get in trouble, I usually talked to my stuffed Teddiursa about how I felt. He was  
a good listener, too." He laughed a little at that thought. "Of course, I was six or seven at the   
time, and it's not like he had much of a say in if he wanted to hear it or not anyway."  
  
I've always thought humans had some weird ideas, and this only added proof for me. Still,  
maybe he was right. The way he explained everything...it made sense, in a way. I don't exactly  
think of him as a large stuffed replica of a Poke'mon, but I started to feel a little better  
anyway. Besides, unlike a doll, he could at least understand that I was upset.  
  
"Come on Nidoran," Dan said, lifting me off his chest. "Let's go raid the fridge. Next to  
talking, food is the ultimate solution for almost anything."  
  
"Nidoran!" *Alright!*  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Niiiiddddoooo..." *Oh...*  
  
I never thought I'd say it; I ate too much. Joy had went shopping yesterday, so there was  
plenty of food in the kitchen. Dan seemed to have no problem downing about a day and a half's   
worth of food in an hour, but I had to stop after a big bag of pretezels and three bowls of ice  
cream. Now I had the biggest stomach ache in the world, and the medicene Dan had given me hadn't  
taken effect yet.  
  
Anyway, we both stayed up the rest of the night, since the sun was almost up anyway. Joy  
came out, not wearing her usual dress.  
  
"Joy? Don't you have to work today?"  
  
"Not today!" Joy said happily. "I was promised the day off to make up for all the holidays  
I've missed. Finally, a day to myself!"  
  
"Hey, that sounds...huh?" Someone just shoved a piece of paper through the mail slot in  
the door. Joy walked over and looked at the paper, then said something Dan told me I wasn't   
allowed to repeat.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"...They want me to work today! Of all the nerve..."  
  
"Work? At the Center?"  
  
"No, at the tournement! A few of the doctors called in sick, so now I've got to go and  
handle emergency cases that might come up during the battles!"  
  
"Ouch..." my trainer said, wincing. "Oh well, I wish I could help..."  
  
"No, don't..." she looked at the rest of the paper, then said even more things I'm not  
allowed to repeat. "...AND I have to look after the kids who aren't battling!"  
  
"What?! Where are the parents in all this?"  
  
"I don't know...Dan, I hate to ask, but could you come with me? The kids like you, and I  
need all the help I can get."  
  
"Sure," he said with a nod, "if you can think of a way to get me out of here without   
anyone seeing me."  
  
Unfortunetly, we had to walk the whole way, so we needed something that would offer a lot  
of cover. Joy had a large raincoat that covered up most of his body, but then there was his ears.  
There was no way, even with a hat on, that you cover them up. In the end, she ended up tying them  
together with string and used a bandana to try and cover up the rest of it. By the time she was  
done, my trainer looked like he had a cone shaped head, but she'd said it do.   
  
Other than a lot of staring, we made it to the gym unnoticed. There was a room where all  
the trainers that were battling had to wait till it was their turn to battle, and that's where  
we got placed. Not many of the kids flocked to me, which was good, because little humans are even  
stranger than big ones. Seeing my trainer swamped with them, though, I tried to get a few to come  
to me.  
  
My stomach ache was still a big problem. I guess Dan noticed, because he picked me up and  
took me to the bathroom. Maybe he thought I was going to be sick, and he didn't want to clean up  
any mess I might make. I didn't feel like I was going to be sick, but apparently he didn't see  
that. We passed by the door were I found that thing last night on the way there.  
  
"Nidoran Ran!" *Hey, this is where that thing was!*  
  
"Nidoran? What is it?" He put me down to see what I wanted. I ran over and scratched at  
the door. "Is there something in there?"  
  
"Nido!" *Yeah!* He looked around quickly to see if anyone was coming, then quickly   
opened the door and stepped in. I squeezed in right behind him.  
  
The room was still a mess like I'd found it. Whatever was in here last night wasn't here  
now. Whatever I'd seen was gone too.  
  
"Is this where you found that thing you told us about last night?"  
  
"Ran, Nido Nido Nidoran. Nidoran." I said, nodding. *Yeah, this is where I found it.   
Whatever it was.*  
  
"I see. Well, it not here...what the..."   
  
"Nidoran?" *Huh?* I was too short to see what my trainer saw on the top of a bookcase, but  
it seemed important. Someone had stacked up various things like a stairway to the top of it that  
I could follow up to the top of it. Still, why would anyone do that?  
  
"Something's in there. I can hear it banging around." I ran up the makeshift stairs to   
the top. There was a vent cover that someone had burnt a hole through, small enough for a Poke'mon  
my size or a little bigger to get through. "Nidoran, follow that vent in and see if you can find  
whatever is making all that noise.  
  
"Nidoran..." *Alright...* I was pretty sure that whatever was in there sure didn't want to  
be found, but an order is an order. I made it through the hole, notcing it looked kind of like that  
one I'd gotten through into the gym earlier.  
  
I've never figured out why humans have to make these things so complicated. I got myself   
lost a lot in there, and it was hard to follow the noises, since the metal made the sound bounce  
around all over the place. It felt like I was in there for an hour when I finally heard a "BANG!",  
then it got quiet. I couldn't hear the thing moving around anymore at all.  
  
I was considering heading back when I realized I was lost. That left me only one option;  
pick randomly and hope I got lucky. It must have been a good ten minutes when I turned a corner and  
found out what was making all that noise.  
  
"Ran Nidoran?" *A Vaporeon?* The blue Poke'mon was slumped over at a dead end vent. I  
nudged a few times, but it didn't respond. I could hear it breathing, so I knew it was alive.  
  
"Nidoran, Nido Nido..." *Well, I can't just leave it here...* In the end, I bit down on  
his tail and dragged him around with me. It was really tiring, but thankfully, I found the hole  
where I'd came in quickly after. I called out and Dan popped off the cover to let me out.  
  
"Nidoran, you're back! Hey, and you bought a present!" He took the two of us down, and   
noticed the poor shape of the Vaporeon. He said we were going to have Joy look it over and do   
what he could for it. No one saw us step out of the room and headed back, too wrapped up in the  
trainers battling.  
  
"Wait a minute..." My trainer looked over the Vaporeon more closely. Out of nowhere, he   
exclaimed, "Hey, I caught this Vaporeon already!"  
  
"Ran?" *Huh?* We rushed back to Joy, who was having problems keeping the kids away from  
all the medical stuff she had to work with.  
  
"Joy, we got an emergency over here!"  
  
"Now? I'm really...oh my!" Joy took Vaporeon from Dan, stared to walk off to help it, then  
turned around. "Wait...Dan, this is your Vaporeon!"  
  
"I know. Nidoran found him in the vents." Joy looked confused. My trainer sighed. "I'll   
explain later. Just take care of him, please!"  
  
Joy quickly went back to work, as did we. Slowly but surely, the little kids left one by  
one. The winners returned for their next match, but the loser usually went up to their parents in  
the stands, so we slowly had less and less to deal with. When we got down to the last four, Joy  
came over.  
  
"You're Vaporeon is awake." Joy informed us. "Go see him. I can handle these kids."  
  
"Alright." He went off while I helped Joy keep the kids from destroying anything important.   
He came back a little later, looking kind of depressed. Joy and him could take care of the rest of   
the kids by themselves, so I went to see this elusive Poke'mon. He was in an incubator like all   
the ones I'd seen a few days ago.  
  
"Nidoran, Nido Nido." *So, you're the runaway Vaporeon.* He peered down from inside his case  
at me.  
  
"Vaporeon, Vapor?" *And who might you be?*  
  
"Nidoran, Nido Ran Ran Nido." *I'm a Poke'mon trained by the person you ran away from.*  
  
"Vap." *Oh.*  
  
"Nidoran, Ran Nidoran Nido?" Silence. "Nidoran Nido Nido, Ran Ran?" *So, why did you run away   
from my trainer?* *Come on, you must have a good reason, don't you?*  
  
"Vaporeon Eon, Vaporeon Vaporeon." *If you're smart, you'll leave this place now.*  
  
"Nido! Nidoran Ran Ran?" *Hey! Is that some kind of threat?*  
  
"Vaporeon, Eon Vapor." *No, it's a warning.*  
  
"Nidoran? Nidoran?" *Warning? Of what?*  
  
He remained silent. I got annoyed with him and left him alone. What kind of warning could  
he be talking about, anyway? Ah, don't worry about it, I told myself. He probably just doesn't like   
my trainer because he's half electric type.  
  
Anyway, since Dan and Joy were handling the rest of the kids, I went out to watch the battles.  
I growled at anyone who came near me, so people left me alone. Soon, they were down to the last two  
trainers. I was kinda sad at that time, because I just saw a cute looking female Nidoran get knocked out  
by a Pidgey.  
  
"And now," The announcer on the loudspeaker said, "we have a special surprise. Lt. Surge is   
going to be the guest referee for the final battle!"  
  
The crowd cheered loudly at this. I moved from my spot by the enterance door for the   
trainers up a bit more to get a better view of the action. We waited...and waited...and waited.   
No one came out from anywhere. Soon there were faint whispers coming from the loudspeakers.  
  
"What do you mean they can't find Lt. Surge?!" the announcer yelled suddenly. There was an   
akward pause, then, "Did I just say that aloud?"  
  
"Um...yeah, you did."   
  
"Uh-oh...ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing some...technical difficulties at this   
moment. Please hold on just a second."  
  
Everyone started whispering all at once. Where was Lt. Surge? Surely he should be here.  
  
"Nidoran Ran?" I said to myself. *Where could he be?* I was about to run back to Dan and  
let him know, but he must have heard the announcement, since he was running out behind me.  
  
"They can't find Lt. Surge?" he asked no one in paticular. "Where would he go?" We watched  
the officals run around, trying to find the missing Gym Leader. We were still mostly out of sight  
as we watched all the action. No one seemed to have any luck at finding him. We quickly learned,  
however, they found something else intresting.  
  
"WHAA!"  
  
From a hallway, three men just flew straight through the arena, crashing into the netting  
set up to protect the spectators. They seemed unhurt, but quickly ran out through the emergency   
stairs out of the gym. A few panicked spectators made their way out too, but a lot hung out to see  
what had hurled those men which such force.  
  
When the little girl came out into the arena, people seemed shocked. She looked to be about  
six, wearing a white dress and a white hat that covered up most of her face. You could see some green  
hair hanging out from under that hat. In her small hands, she held a solitary Poke'Ball. I started  
to tense up, and Dan looked ready for a fight himself. This girl just cast an arua of something...  
something bad.  
  
"Excuse me," she said in a soft, almost squeaky voice, "but has anyone seen a Vaporeon here?  
He seems to have gotten out of his ball again, and I must find him."  
  
"Nidoran?" I said. *Vaporeon?*  
  
"Please. I must find my poor little Poke'mon."  
  
Dan said nothing. I thought he would have more than happy to hand over Vaporeon, especially  
after he ran away. Maybe that's why he ran away, though. Maybe he didn't like this girl. If that was  
the case, I couldn't blame him.  
  
"I know who has my Vaporeon, but maybe he just doesn't realize it. I'll ask him directly,   
then." She turned to look at us. At us! Out of an entire crowd of people, how could she pick my   
trainer out?!  
  
"Excuse me. May I please have back my Vaporeon?"  
  
"I'm sorry, but I found him out in the wild." Dan said, shaking his head. " I don't believe  
he's yours."  
  
"Oh, but I just know he is. Please, may I have him back?"  
  
"How do you know it's yours? You haven't even seen him yet."  
  
"Please," she said, starting to sound impatient. "I really would like my Vaporeon back."  
  
"If you can prove he's yours, I will." He thought for a moment, then said, "Vaporeon has a  
very unique trait. What is it?"  
  
"Nidoran?" *Unique trait?* Vaporeon looked just like every other Vaporeon I've seen. What  
could my trainer be talking about?  
  
"Um...he's...um...his...no..." The little girl seemed to be unable to come up with anything.  
"Please, sir. May I just have him back?"  
  
"Not till you tell me what's so special about him."  
  
"Please, I must have him back." Now she was starting to sound angry.  
  
"Oh, just give it to her!" someone in the stands yelled.  
  
"QUIET!" The little girl certainly didn't sound like a little girl anymore. Now she sounded  
like an angry grown-up.  
  
The man in the stands who had called out started to float off the ground, by no action on his  
part. He kicked and flailed about, but was unable to break whatever control was making him float.  
I was puzzled, till I looked at the girl. Her hat was still covering up most of her face, but I could  
see two eyes glowing a bright blue.  
  
"Nidoran!" *She's psyhic!*  
  
"Now, please give me back my Vaporeon, before this man...this whole gym has to suffer for  
it." The little girl voice was gone. She seemed emotionless as she spoke. Emotionless, except for  
being very cold.  
  
"What are you going to do to them?"  
  
"Either give me the Vaporeon, or I'll turn everyone in here into a creature like you."  
  
"A creature...you can turn them all into Hybrids?!"  
  
"The Vaporeon. NOW!"   
  
"Nidoran, Nido Ran!?" I wondered aloud. *Can she turn me into one too!?*  
  
"Oh yes, you annoying little pest. You as well."  
  
How'd she understand me?! She wasn't a Hybrid or a Poke'mon...was she?   
  
"Everyone, close your eyes!"  
  
"Ran?" *Joy?* I looked back and saw Joy in her Hybrid form, the front of her dress slightly  
torn during the change. Despite her lack of strength and real hands, she managed to throw her egg  
rather well. It landed in front of the psyhic girl. When it started to glow brightly, I shut my eyes.  
  
"AHHHH!!!"  
  
The little girl screamed as the glow steadily grew into what Joy later described as a Flash   
attack. When I opened my eyes, she was clutching at her own, temporarily blinded. Dan quickly said   
what everyone was probably thinking.  
  
"RUN!"  
  
Everyone quickly bolted for the nearest exit. Despite my rush to find an exit, I noticed that  
somehow the egg remained unharmed during all this.   
  
"Dan, the egg! I need it to change back!"  
  
"Geez!" He quickly ran and picked it up. By the time the girl recovered, no one was in the  
arena, and the few people still in the gym were only feet from the nearest exit.  
  
In the confusion and chaos, no one noticed the two Hybrids or the Nidoran following them  
escaping down the street.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"...despite the suspected powers of the girl, no one was hurt, and damage to the gym   
itself was minimal, though Lt. Surge is still missing..."  
  
"That's not good." Joy sighed and shut off the T.V. "So, do you think anyone is going to  
believe that a couple of half-human, half-Poke'mon creatures saved everyone that was in that gym?"  
  
"Not many." my trainer said doubtfully. They remained silent before Dan spoke up. "Can I  
use your phone?"  
  
"Sure, but why?"  
  
"I want to call home."  
  
"Are you sure that's wise?"  
  
"No," he admitted, "but after today...I want my parents to know what's going on. I can't  
let them wonder about me forever.  
  
"Alright...," Joy said with a sigh. "but I seriously advise against that."  
  
"Thanks for your input, but I'm still doing it." I followed my trainer into the kitchen.  
He picked up the reciever of the phone and punched a few buttons. I couldn't see anything from the  
floor, but I could hear a female voice at the other end.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hello, Mom? It's your son..." he paused for a moment. I guess he was waiting for his   
mother to start screaming or something, but I didn't hear that. "Mom, I..."  
  
"I guess I should've expected this..."  
  
"Expected this? Expected what?"  
  
"Dan...we haven't been very honest with you, but now seems like it's the best time to say  
this..."  
  
"Say what?"  
  
"This...isn't the first time this has happened."  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Another two weeks, another chapter. (Braces for large onslaught of screaming and thrown objects.)  
I know, it's very late, but again, it's been a bit of a struggle to get to a computer. I now,   
however, plan to get out at least one chapter a week...starting the next time I don't get a chapter  
out within a week.  
  
"It's a big wooden stove. Harness it all mighty burning power. For the cooking of pot's and pans  
and stuff. Yeah"  
  
Tony Jones, Universal Magi, examining Gia's wooden stove. 


	10. 

Hey, I'm sick and at home, all alone. That means no annoyning parents or brothers on my case,   
trying to force me off the computer! Heh, and all I have to do is deal with an occasional, mild  
pain...*FireHybird suddenly clutches at heart, then slowly lets go of chest*...I'm alright...I  
think. I'm still looking for e-mail ideas. Feel free to send them, and I'll respond as fast as   
possible. Heck, I've got no life beyond this. This is as close as I get to having a social life.  
Well, enough of my babbling. As always, please R and R. Here's chapter 10!  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chp.10-Origins revealed?  
  
  
  
  
"Chu mean Rai done this before?!" I half-yelled into the receiver.  
  
"I'm sorry, dear," Mom said, "but your father and I thought it'd be better if you never  
found out. We weren't sure how you'd handle it, and you were too young at the time to remember  
on your own."  
  
"Rai...Where is Dad, anyway?"  
  
"He went to the hospital where you were born. He didn't say why or when he'd be back."  
  
Why would he go there? It didn't make sense to me.  
  
"Well, now Rai here, and Rai obviously know this isn't the first Raichu this happened, so  
please, tell me what Chu know."  
  
Mom didn't respond at first. She seemed to be thinking over something really hard, and  
I started to wonder if she was going to say anything at all. Finally, she started to tell the   
story of my birth, something that she always avoided to answer when I was still at home.  
  
"It all began the day after you were born," she started with a hint of saddness in her  
voice. "You were such a beautiful baby, and I didn't want to leave you alone. However, the doctors  
at the hospital insisted, saying that I should go home and rest in a place where I'd feel   
comfortable. They said they needed to look you over and make sure everything was alright. They  
said you'd be fine. They said you'd be fine..."  
  
"Mom? Are Chu O.K.?" I said, hearing my mother's sniffing like she was going to cry. She  
kept this up for a minute, but recovered and went back to the story.  
  
"I'm sorry." she apoligized. "Anyway, your father took me home. The hospital said they   
call when we could take you home. We were still new at being parents, so we assumed that everything  
was fine when they didn't call the first week. Then they didn't call the second week, or the third.  
Finally we went down there on the fourth week to find you. When we spoke to the doctors, none of  
them knew who we were. We tried to find the doctor who'd delivered you, but he had went to a   
hospital in Celadon City. When we called there, they always said he wasn't available to come to  
the phone."  
  
Now I know doctors are pretty busy people, but they still have to respond to a paitent.  
Besides, how could anyone not remember about a baby who'd been in a hospital for four weeks? I   
soon got my answer.  
  
"We were worried, and the police refused to help. No grounds for a search my foot..." she  
muttered. "I hired a private investigator to find out where you were. He came back at about the  
sixth week since you were born. He'd found confidential papers that said you weren't even at the  
hospital anymore..." her eyes started to water up, and a sob escaped her.  
  
"Mom? Mom? Where was Rai?"  
  
"The papers *sniff* they said *sniff* you were...were..."  
  
"Were?"  
  
"Dead." she finally managed to get out before breaking out into full blown tears.  
  
"DEAD!!!" I yelled. "How could Rai be dead?!"  
  
Mom was too busying crying to respond. Maybe I should've been a little gentler on her, but  
she hid this from me without ever saying a word. Why couldn't she just tell me the truth from the  
beginning? What was the worse that could happen?  
  
I let her finish crying without a word. It's not that I didn't care how she felt, it's   
just that somehow, whenever I find myself with a person who's having a emotional breakdown, I   
always say the worst thing possible even though I mean well. The worst time was when I was over  
a friends home make in elementary school and asked where his pet Meowth was. Turned out they'd  
just put it to sleep not two hours ago. Worse yet, his little sister who happened to be nearby  
started crying and didn't shut up until three hours later when she heard that.  
  
Mom finally regained control of herself enough to tell me the rest of the story. I'm just  
going to write the basics. Otherwise I'll be here most of the night trying to recall word for word  
what she said.  
  
After my parents had learned of my so called, "death", they sued the hospital. Like any  
normal person, they wanted revenge, but they also wanted to be sure this never happened to any  
other parents. They thought they had a solid case, but the hospital seemed to have more lawyers  
than doctors, and they blew holes in the case bigger then a Snorlax. In the end, the hospital was  
found not guilty.  
  
Devestated both emotionally and finacially, since the money they spent on the case was all  
for nothing, they spent more than six months trying to put their lives back together. They were  
losing hope of ever being able to live like a normal couple. They both had to work two jobs just  
to pay the minimums on credit cards and other debts. Mom and Dad barely saw each other for more  
then a few minutes anymore.  
  
Finally, one night, there was a loud series of knocks on the door. Mom was the only one  
home at the time, so she answered. At first, she was surprised to find no one at the door...till  
she looked at the ground. Something wrapped in dirty rags was lying in front of the door, crying.  
Naturally, she was shocked that someone would abandon a baby on a persons doorstep, and she took  
the live cargo into the house.  
  
Carefully, she unwrapped the rags around the head to get a better look at the child. She  
couldn't control the little scream she let out when she saw its face. The child just seemed   
confused as to why this person holding him was screaming. That's when he said his first word.  
  
"Pika? My first word Rai Pika?"  
  
"Pika." she said with a nod.  
  
In her arms she held a baby Pikachu Hybrid. At the time, she didn't know why this child   
was how he was, or who'd dropped him off on her door step. When he started to cry again, though,  
she didn't have the heart to just give it to someone else. She still had some of their sons baby  
clothes, and put them on this new child, though she had to cut a hole in the pants, for his   
lightining bolt-shaped tail was in the way.  
  
She described the baby like this; human head and face with brown hair, Pikachu ears,   
small Pikachu shaped feet, amber eyes, human hands, lightining bolt-tail, human arms, legs and  
body. He was covered in mostly yellow fur, except for his cheeks, where it was bright red, and   
across his back, which had some brown stripes along with the yellow. For reasons unknown, it's  
fur was soaking wet, even though it hadn't been raining. Mom said the baby was very trusting, and   
started to cry whenever it was left alone, even for just a second.  
  
Anyway, Mom wasn't quite sure what exactly to do with this odd child. In the end, she   
waited for Dad to come home before making any desicions. Naturally, he was shocked to find his  
wife caring for a fur-covered baby when he walked in the door. He was a little scared of the baby,  
but he quickly grew on him. Still, he had no idea what to do with the baby either. Neither of them  
wanted to just get rid of it, but what if someone saw them with it? What would their reaction be?  
  
For the next few days, they stayed at home and took care of the baby, still unsure of what  
to do with it. The new parents quickly learned that it could walk on two legs already and had a   
big craving for food. Mom set down a pizza that had just been delivered(of course the baby was   
hidden at the time) on a low table, but just high enough so that it couldn't be reached by the   
little child on all fours, which had been his major source of transportation. Suddenly, he stood  
up, a little unsteady at first, but quickly made his way over to the pizza, while the mother and  
father watched in shock as he gobbled down the entire pizza on his own.  
  
This kept up for a while, till one day, a large manila envelope was dropped through the   
mail slot in the door. By the time the door was opened, whoever had put it in was gone. Dad picked  
up the envelope, studied it for a moment, then opened it. A large stack of papers neatly stapled   
together fell out, along with a long handwritten note. Dad looked over the note, then his face   
went pale as he looked over the papers stapled together.  
  
"What is it?" Mom asked.  
  
He didn't say anything for a moment. Maybe he didn't want to believe the truth himself.  
Maybe he just didn't want his wife to know. Still, in the end, he had to tell her the truth.  
  
"I'm not quite sure how to say this..." he looked back at the baby, who was amusing himself  
with some blocks in the living room, "so I'll say it straight. That creature in the living room...  
is our son."  
  
Much to Mom's disbelief, the Hybrid was in fact me, their, "dead", son. The papers knew  
everything about me and my family; where I was born, where Mom and Dad married, even Mom's madien  
name. They also explained the results of some experiments performed, which they realized to their  
horror, was that their son was the actual experiment.  
  
"RAI WAS A RAICHU EXPERIMENT?!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Dan. If I'd known what they were going to do..." she started to sniff again.  
  
Maybe I was being a little harsh on her. She couldn't have possibly known...I took a   
couple of deep breaths to try and calm down. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nidoran looking  
up at me, a bit shaken up all of a sudden. I waited till Mom calmed down before I asked if I   
could see the papers with this proof.  
  
"We...burned them."  
  
"Chu burned them?!"  
  
"You were so happy when you finally became a normal person, we didn't want you to get   
upset, so we burned all the papers once we realized the truth.  
  
"Well, Chu failed. Rai pretty Raichu off right now."  
  
"I'm sorry..." Sorry? Sorry?! What good was sorry now?!  
  
"Chu burned all the papers? Raichu everything?"  
  
"No, not everything. The note that came with all those papers. We tried to burn it with  
everything else, but the flames didn't even singe it. We tried to shred it, but the shredders   
blades broke the moment they hit the paper. No matter what we did, it refused to be damaged in any  
way. In the end, we just locked it in the safety deposit box with all our other important papers."  
  
"Fax Rai here."  
  
"Dan, I..."  
  
"NOW." I growled. The telephone had a fax function on it. I opened the link while Mom went and   
got the paper. She reluctantly put it through the fax on her side. A copy soon appeared on my side a   
moment later.  
  
"Keep going. What Raichu then?" I asked, taking the paper out of the slot.  
  
She really seemed unwilling to continue. Every word seemed like it had to be forced out.  
I knew it was probably eating her up inside, and I felt sorry for that. Still, she should've told  
me the truth. I would've learned to understand, especially at such a young age!  
  
After they burned up my past, my parents decided that they would just have to take care of  
me like a normal child. They cut off almost all contact with my realitives, so they wouldn't be  
able to know about me. All the while, they somehow even managed to keep the neighbors from noticing,  
even though I didn't make it simple for them.  
  
Like all babies, I was naturally curious, and sometimes that got me in real trouble.  
Apperantly, things were always dissappearing around the house, why, no one knew. They thought there  
were burgulars slowly robbing them blind, since everything missing was something that had any worth;  
money, jewelery, that sort of thing. One day, while Mom was cleaning my room, she found everything  
that had been missing in a corner of my closet, under a pile of sheets and blankets.  
  
They tried to figure out how I did it, but they couldn't at first. They hid things  
everywhere they could think I wouldn't look, but it never worked. Worse, I was more creative at  
hiding the things I stole than my parents were at hiding them from me. Mom said my record for   
hiding stolen goods was six months. Eventually, she thought my stuffed Teddursia needed to be sown  
up, and then everything that had went missing spilled right out of him when she picked him up.  
  
When I still slept in a crib, they found out most of my thefts were at night, while they  
slept. They saw I always popped the latch with a toy of some sort, and when I was tall enough,  
I just flicked it open myself. Finally, they tried a combonation lock. The next day, it went   
missing, as did a bracalet. They tried four more of the same kind of locks, and they also   
dissappeared. One night, my father decided to stay in my room and watch how I did it. He couldn't  
believe what he saw.  
  
"Rai figured out the combonation?"  
  
"If you didn't get it the first time, you had it the second try."  
  
They tried key locks. I just picked it with my tail. They tried tape. I gnawed through it   
within five minutes. They even tried fancy electronic locks that required one combonation out of a   
possible 10,000. I guessed it within three tries. They gave it up in the end and just tried   
hiding everything in high places.  
  
"That didn't work, Raichu?"  
  
"No. That was another bad habit you had. You loved to climb up anything that you could.  
Once, in the middle of the night, you somehow got out, and I guess you must have climbed up the  
storm drain, because the next morning, we found you on the roof. We coaxed you down with some food,  
but we were just lucky no one saw that."  
  
"Rai..." Well, I had to ask eventually. "When did Rai...become human?"  
  
She seemed to have no trouble at all getting out this part. It was like she was getting   
something off her chest she couldn't wait to get rid of, unlike the rest of the story.   
  
"One day, when you were a little older than two, your father bought home a ring for me as  
a birthday gift. Naturally, we tried to hide it. Naturally, you found it anyway. Except this time...  
when we found you, you were a normal human child. We couldn't figure out how it happened. Then we  
saw you were holding the ring your father just gave me. It was supposed to be a plain gem, but  
the jewelery store called us later, and told us we recived the wrong ring."  
  
"What was it Raichu of?"  
  
"The ring itself was plain metal. The gem was pure Thunder Stone, just enough to cause an  
evolution."  
  
I remained quiet for a while, still trying to absorb all of this. Apperantly, where I   
should've evolved, I instead became human...at least till that Growlithe bit me. As I thought about  
this, I saw Joy pacing back and forth, occasionally glancing in at me. Suddenly, a wave of   
dreadful thoughts hit me all at once.  
  
If my Hybridism was supposedly the result of being a science experiment, what about the  
others? Sara, Misty, Joy; did they know? Were they a part of it too? Surely they were. It made   
too much sense not to be true. Still, what proof did I have?  
  
And what about that Growlithe? How did it's bite make this happen? Or Misty and that  
Beedrill? Sure, they were odd, and they both hurt us, but why were they so odd? Why did they   
attack us, out of anyone else they could've hurt?  
  
What if what that guy said was true? What if he was the one who did this to me, and the  
others? Giovanni...that's what that thing that had been trapped with me called him. I've never  
heard the name before...but I was so young when it happened, and even now, I couldn't remember   
what my mother was telling me was true. If he did do this to me, I was going to get him back  
somehow. I wasn't sure how at the time, but I knew I would.  
  
I still was thinking about all this when Mom asked me if I was alright. My thoughts   
quickly turned to anger upon hearing her voice. How did she think I felt? She lied to me! She  
lied to my face for years. Both of them! Both of my parents never told me the truth! They didn't  
want to think that they once had a freak for a son! They just fed me crap about anything I asked  
about my birth or anything in the past, just because they thought their son was a freak!  
  
I slammed the reciever back down, not even bothering to say as much as good-bye. I grabbed  
the paper, not even bothering to look at it as I stormed out of the room. Nidoran tried to follow  
me as I made my way out the door, but I told him to stay.  
  
"Where are you going?" Joy asked me as I turned the knob.  
  
I was about to snap at her about minding her own buisness when a thought occured to me. If  
she truly didn't know why she was a Chansey Hybrid, should I tell her the truth, if it even was the  
truth? Should I tell her we were both guiena pigs for some twisted monster that played around with  
our DNA and mixed it all up like a Rubic cube? No...I couldn't bring myself to tell her that. If   
she asked later, maybe I'd tell her. Maybe later, but not now.  
  
"Rai going out for air." I muttered.  
  
"Air? Dan, I don't need to be half-Chansey to tell your upset. Do you want to talk about  
it?"  
  
Talk about it? Talk about what? I'd been lied to, plain and simple. There was nothing to  
talk about.  
  
"Maybe later." I lied, opening the door and stepping out into the cool night air. I slammed  
the door shut behind me as I ran as fast as possible out of the city. I needed to think. There was  
too much noise in the city to really think. More than that, I wanted to be alone.  
  
Alone? Wasn't I already alone? A Hybrid, the only one who knows the truth behind his  
condition? I don't think I could be anymore alone.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
FireHybrid: "Ow!" *Rubs head where Pointy Stick 4000 hit* "That's it! Furret, I choose you!"  
*Furret runs out from behind FireHybrid.*  
  
Furret: "Fur!"  
  
FireHybrid: "Furret, Thief Attack on Seraph!  
  
The_Seraph: What? Ah! *Seraph is tackled by Furret. As he falls, Furret grabs Pointy Stick 4000  
and brings it to FireHybrid.*  
  
FireHybrid: Good job, Furret! *FireHybrid picks up Pointy Stick 4000, then whacks The_Seraph as  
he gets back up*  
  
The_Seraph: "Ow! That hurts!" *Seraph moans and stumbles off, looking for aspirin.*  
  
Sorry about that, folks. Occasionaly, I get a disgruntled reviewer I must take care. As you see,  
I don't keep my Poke'mon in balls. Personally, I'd rather not be put in a ball myself, so I don't  
do it to others.  
  
Anyway, I ended in a small cliffhanger, but nothing like Chapter Nine. Maybe now people like   
Seraph won't be left in suspense or fustration when they're done reading. As always, please R&R.  
Also, please, e-mail me some ideas! In case none of you have looked in my bio, my e-mail is:  
firehybrid@swirve.com  
  
(P.S. Why don't people train Furrets more often? They can learn so many different moves, yet many  
people still hate them. Well, maybe a quick Iron Tail will fix that!) 


	11. Enter the Followers

I'm getting out this chapter late this week, for I'm leaving to go see my brother graduate from  
college on Friday, and I won't be back till late Sunday. Anyway, if you think the big secrets have  
been revealed, hang out for a while, because I can assure you, this is just the beginning! As I  
write this, I'm still waiting to hear ideas from my readers. Come on, don't be scared! Any idea  
that you think might be a great addition to the plot, let me know. I'll give credit where it's do!  
Anyway, here's Chapter 11. Enjoy!  
  
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Chp.11- Enter the Followers...  
  
  
  
Needless to say, I was still very angry, even as the sun started to come up. I still   
hadn't made my way back to the city, and the sun was starting to rise. Something inside of me  
knew I had to get back, but another, more powerful part of me refused to go back. I still had too  
much to sort out, and I still couldn't bring myself to tell Joy what I was told.  
  
Why hadn't my parents told me the truth when I was still at home? I would've learned to  
understand. Now all this was coming out at the worst time possible. Sara's still missing,   
Bulbasaurs still missing, I'm still trying to control my powers, that girl is after Vaporeon; now  
I just had salt poured into an open wound.  
  
Maybe I should lighten up on them a bit...after all, they took me in, despite my looks,  
and tried to raise me like a normal child. They did the best they could, despite all the trouble  
I caused. I can't believe I was such a little thief...could I really do all that? I was just a   
baby at the time. Still, who knows what happened in those six months when I dissappeared?  
  
I moaned and shook my head. This was too much to try and deal with all at once. I was  
scared, angry, and worse, confused. I needed to find a spot where I could settle down and figure  
this all out. Wandering around the outskirts of the city, I believed I found a place where I  
could do just that.  
  
A small wooden building was hidden away deep in the woods. It looked old, but was still  
in good condition. I made my way over, noting that someone had made a clear path through all the  
surrounding brambles and other junk. Probably just a grass-type using Razor Leaf to cut a way   
through.  
  
I studied the worn away picture on the door before I went in. It was painted all in red,  
and was very crude. It looked like something on a cloud was throwing a bolt of lightining down at  
something on the ground. I couldn't make out what was throwing the bolt, and the paint was   
totally worn away where a target should've been.  
  
I slowly stepped in, keeping my ears open for anyone or anything. No one was moving around  
at all, and I couldn't see anything in the darkness. Holding out one finger, I focused all the   
electricity I could to it. Soon a large spark appeared on the tip. It wasn't very big, but it cast  
some light through the dark place.  
  
The place looked like the lobby of my old church. I saw a table, a coatrack, a big holder  
loaded with pamlets, a stairway and wicker basket on a shelf that looked like the one that got passed   
around during offering. Looking at a painting on a wall, though, I realized this was nothing like my old   
church.  
  
"What the..." It was a painting of a person, but not any person I knew. The person...if  
it was a person...looked like a normal guy, save for the fact he had the head of a Ponyta and  
there was a streak of fire running down his back. He stood in a wide open plain, seeming to be just  
enjoying being there. He kinda looked like a Hybrid...but all the Hybrids I'd met, including myself,   
seemed to be a nice blend of both human and Poke'mon. This guy seemed to be mostly human, except  
for the total Ponyta head and flame. He looked off balance compared to myself and the other Hybrids.  
  
Before I had much of a chance to continue looking around, I heard what sounded like someone  
walking around in their socks, judging by the softness of their steps. Whoever was coming was   
just around a corner. Fearful of being caught, I cut my light and scrambled up the staircase. Just  
as I reached the top step, the other person stopped moving. I instantly froze. A few tense seconds  
past, then the other person left and went away, though I didn't move till they were out of range   
of my hearing.  
  
"Rai..." I let out a little sigh of relief. It seemed like I was in some sort of attic now.  
There was a large square opening in one of the walls that looked outside. Other than that, it looked  
pretty bare. There was some dust, but honestly, does anyone give a Ratatta's tail about dust?  
  
I glanced out the hole cautiously to see what was out there. It was about a thirty foot  
drop to the ground, but someone had put large mattress down on the ground. If I'd leapt down, I'd  
probably be fine. Still, my acrophobia(fear of heights) kept me from doing so. It's not a real  
problem on planes, just when I can actually reach out and touch the air, which means I can also  
fall through it too.  
  
I slowly backed away from the hole and looked around again. For an attic, the place was  
pretty big. My guess was that it covered the whole building. Who'd want an attic that cover the  
whole...  
  
"PIDGEO!!"  
  
"What th...OW!OW!OW!OW!" Out of nowhere, a Pidgeotto swooped down and started pecking me  
in the head. It chased me around up there for a while, all the time pecking me whenever it could.  
Being the brave soul I was, I ran around, yelling, "Get Rai off me! Get Rai off me!"  
  
This kept up for about a good two minutes, before it occured to me I had a type-advantage  
here. I formed my finger light again as I ran, then turned on the winged terror. When I reached   
for it, it flew above me, then perched itself on a nearby rafter.  
  
"Raichu that for?!" I yelled at it, forgetting that the person was still here, and might  
overhear me.   
  
"Pidgeo want Pidg Pidgeo." it said in a shrill voice.  
  
"Chu want something?" It nodded. "Rai?"  
  
"Pigedo!" It flew over to a spot in the attic and started making tight circles around it.  
I followed it over to the spot, trying to see what it wanted. It looked just like the rest of the  
attic, except I noticed small holes in the floor. Pidgeotto landed and looked down through one of   
them, so I dropped to my hands and knees to see what it was looking at.  
  
On the floor below us, a bunch of figures sat around in a circle, wearing cloaks and  
not saying anything. They sat inside a circle of scented candles, and inside the circle that they  
formed with their bodies was something painted in red on the wooden floor. There was too little  
light to get a real good at it.  
  
"What are Raichu?" I asked silently.  
  
"Pidgeo, with Pidgeo."  
  
"With what?"  
  
"Pidge!"  
  
This was going nowhere. I watched this for about ten minutes. They continued to sit in  
total stillness and silence. I was starting to getting a little scared and stiff. Finally, I got   
up, getting ready to leave.  
  
CRUNCH!  
  
My right foot crashed through the wood. Panicked, I yanked at my leg, trying to pull it  
out before I was spotted. Unfortunetly, my movements only caused the hole to grow bigger. My   
other foot slipped in, and about a second later, I crashed through.  
  
"AH!" In desperation, I grabbed for something as I started to fall through. Pidgeotto   
dogded my first grab and caught my hand as I started to fall. It grabbed my hand in its talons  
and started flapping frantically. I still fell through, but my fall was slowed dramatically.  
  
"Raichu the save." I thanked the Pidgeotto as we slowly fell. The figures in the circle  
continued to remain still. Even after I was dropped about five feet onto a bed of flowers someone  
had planted indoors, they didn't move. My next reaction changed that.  
  
"YEOW!" I quickly scrambled out of the flowerbed, desperate to get away from the stingers.  
"Chu dropped me on Raichu of roses!"  
  
"Pidgeo..." Pidgeotto came to land on my shoulder. The once still figures now surrounded   
us in a semi-circle. They wore cloaks that covered their entire bodies, hoods covering even their  
heads. One of them slowly reached into one of the huge sleeves of his cloak. My mind kept screaming,  
"He's got a knife! Run, you furry idiot!" but my feet refused to respond.   
  
I drew back and closed my eyes when he pulled out the object. There were a few tense   
moments, then I realized there wasn't any sharp pointy objects giving me a few extra holes. I   
opened my eyes to see why. He didn't hold a knife in his hand, but...  
  
"Rai apple?"  
  
"Yes, Leader." the figure said in a low voice. I was sure now it was a guy. "These are   
you're favorite, are they not?"  
  
Leader? This guy was weird, but the others were even weirder. They were all down on their  
knees, heads bowed forward. Were they...worshipping me?  
  
Normally, I probably would've been taking the oppertunity to run. When I saw all these  
people on their knees, facing me,...I suddenly felt like I'd gained a respect I'd never had. These  
people actually appricated me for who I was. They weren't running away or screaming or calling me  
a monster. They...praised me...for who I was...  
  
I walked up and gently took the apple from the lead cloaky(I nicknamed them that, since I  
didn't have any real names for them). While my favorite was really pizza, it suddenly looked so  
tasty. As soon as I had a firm grip on it, he too fell to his knees. I ate it slowly, all of the  
cloakies continuing to stay there, watching me eat this apple. If it hadn't been so akward, it  
would've been funny.  
  
When I was finished, holding only the core, the cloakies rose. The leader slowly approached  
me and held out his hand. Not sure what else to do, I put the core in it. He took it and put it  
in his cloak sleeve again. Is there anything he won't put in there?, I wondered.  
  
"Come, Leader. You must be tired from your journey. Please, follow me."  
  
I did as instructed, following the cloaked leader. He lead me to a luxurious bedroom, or  
at least compared to sleeping out in the woods. Sheets, pillows, a mattress; I was in heaven!  
  
"Please, stay here. We'll come for you in the morning." With that, the door was closed  
behind me, leaving me and Pidgeotto alone.  
  
"Well, this Rai certainly weird." I said as Pidgeotto flew over to one of the bedposts,  
using it as a makeshift perch.  
  
"Pidgeo, Pidge Pidge Pidgeo, downstairs!"  
  
"Downstairs? What are Chu talking about?"  
  
"Pidgeo! Pidge Pidge downstairs!"  
  
"Sorry, but all Rai hear is 'downstairs'." I gave my new feathered friend a pat on the  
head. "Enjoy Raichu. It's not often Raichu worship Chu."  
  
It continued to rant on, but I tuned it out when I found a book on a small table near the  
door. The front was labeled, "The Followers Worship Guide". I flipped it open, and ended up on a  
page that had been looked at often, judging by the way the binding was worn in; it opened to that  
page immediatly.  
  
"...and one day, when he believes his followers are ready," the page read, "the leader shall  
come down from his spot on the heavens and lead his people to victory. He shall weild the powers  
of heavenly lightining with great ease..."  
  
Heavenly lightining? These people thought I was some kind of God? I closed the book   
and sat on the edge of the bed, stunned. No wonder they bowed to me. They thought I was a God...of  
course I wasn't, but still, when someone calls you a God and gets down on their knees to worship  
you, that's not something one easily forgets.  
  
Pidgeotto gave up trying to talk to me and flew over to the doorknob , trying to turn it.  
That didn't work, so I tried it. It was locked from the outside.  
  
"Give it up, Pidgeotto. Raichu stuck." Geez, for people who were just down on their knees,  
these guys weren't very trusting. Oh well, I thought, heading back to the bed and crawling under  
the covers. Probably just some sort of test. As Pidgeotto flew over to a bedpost and started to   
doze off, I figured I'd make some sort of excuse. Besides, these people loved me. What would they  
do to me?  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
PECK!PECK!PECK!  
  
"OW!" I waved my arms about frantically, scaring off Pidgeotto. Moaning, I rubbed my head.  
"Rai do Chu keep doing that?"  
  
"Pidgeo!" it said. I could hear knocking at the door.  
  
"Leader? Are you awake?"  
  
"Yeah, Rai awake..." I muttered. There was a click, and then the door opened, revealing  
the lead cloaky.  
  
"Come." He motioned for me to follow him. "We've prepared breakfast for you."  
  
At the mention of food, I was out of bed. Pidgeotto stayed in the room. We went through   
a series of halls with more of the odd paintings like the ones I'd seen in the lobby. Thinking back,   
there was no religion I'd ever heard of with paintings like this.  
  
I was expecting a giant feast when we entered what looked like a kitchen. I'd got one   
alright...if you consider ten different ways of making apples a feast. There was apple pie,   
carmel apples, cooked apples, and just plain apples, to name a few. I hoped this wasn't a sign of  
things to come.  
  
"Please, Leader. Won't you join us in our meditation?"  
  
"Sure..." Even being praised still didn't change what had happened. Maybe if I could get  
some time to just sit around, I could figure out what to do.  
  
We went back to where I'd crashed through the ceiling. Many other cloakies where already  
seated around where'd I'd seen them last night. I tried to join the others in their circle, but  
they insisted I move into the center.  
  
"You are of too high of stature to be with lowly people like us. Please, go into the   
center."  
  
"O.K., I'll...ah!" I started to move to it, but quickly leapt back. In the center of the  
circle was a pentagram. Looking back, that was a common shape used in demon summoning. I didn't  
think about that the time, but I could see that it was painted by something that looked suspiciously  
like blood.  
  
"Is Chu blood?!" I asked, now that I had the living daylights scared out of me.   
  
"Of course. Anything less would be insufficient for this ritual. You should know that as  
well as any of us."  
  
These guys were nuts! I didn't ask whose blood it was. Chances were, the owner probably was  
six feet under at this point!  
  
"I'm sorry we couldn't use our own blood. We took many packages from donors at the hospital.  
Please forgive our weakness..."  
  
"Rai..." At least I felt a little better. Still, I was suddenly unsure I wanted to have these  
guys praising me. "Excuse me...Chu is much for me to do...Rai require some rest so Rai can continue  
to...hold this form."  
  
With that, I quickly started back for my room. I was gonna grab Pidgeotto, and then we were  
gonna haul tail outta here! I opened the door to the room where I'd last left Pidgeotto.  
  
"Pidgeotto, come...Chu!" It suddenly blew past me and down the hall. I chased after it,  
naturally confused. Maybe now it was going to try to show me what it wanted before.  
  
It made several sharp turns, and twice I thought it was gonna splat against a wall.   
Thankfully, it always made it, and all of the cloakies were at the ritual, so none of them saw  
us moving through the halls. Pidgeotto stopped and flapped in front of a door.  
  
"Is Raichu trying to show me here?" I asked.  
  
"Pidgeo!" I held the padlock that held the chain latch close. Great, it take forever to  
find a key. Where the heck was I gonna look, anywa...What the...  
  
"Pidgeo?" Pidgeotto seemed confused, and with good reason. My tail had moved around so  
the tip was in front of me, moving right for the lock. This was done by no thought or action on  
my part. It's like my tail had a mind of its own!  
  
I watched dumbfound as the lightining-bolt tip inserted itself in the key hole. It   
contracted near the top to fit in easily, filling up where a key should've been. It moved around   
in there a bit, though I wasn't exactly sure what it was doing. Soon, there was a click, a sharp  
but quick pain in the part of the tail that was in the lock. The lock opened, and my tail removed itself,   
returning to it's normal position; hanging just above the ground behind me.   
  
"Whoa..." I wasn't sure exactly what just happened, other than I'd just done something I  
shouldn't have been able to. Still shaken up, I removed the open lock and popped the latch open.  
  
Going downstairs, it was hard to see anything. I started my finger light, but that didn't  
provide much help. When I hit bottom, it was like I was in a crypt. It was cold, dark and creepy.  
  
"Rai hope there's something Raichu down here." I told Pidgeotto, who was now perched on  
my shoulder.  
  
"Over here!"  
  
A new voice called out in the darkness. I followed where the sound was coming from with  
my ears.  
  
"Hello? Where are Chu?"  
  
"Over here!"  
  
"Whe...ah!" I yelped, seeing the red glowing eyes suddenly staring at me from my left.  
  
"It's alright. There a switch on the wall." That voice...it sounded familar. I carefully  
felt my way around the wall, and found a light switch. I flicked it, and a single, dim lightbulb  
lit up. Despite it's weak light, the bulb revealed one of the most important things I'd seen in a  
while.  
  
"Sara!"  
  
"Pidgeo!"  
  
Sara was the owner of those glowing eyes. She blinked a few times, and they returned to their  
grey color like when I'd first seen her. She was wearing the same clothes too, but there was one thing  
different about her. She was locked in a cage, barely big enough for her to stand in. She was also   
soaking wet.  
  
"You know Vul name..." She sounded confused, as she should. As far as she knew, I didn't  
know her name, for I'd never seen her in Hybrid form.  
  
"Of course Rai know Chu name. We did crash Raichu police station back in Chu town, didn't  
we?"  
  
"Vulpix didn't. That was me and Railina..." She paused for a moment, then exclaimed, "That  
was Vulpix I gave a bath?!"  
  
"Rai bubble one, at that."  
  
"Vul...how?"  
  
"Don't worry Raichu." I told her. "What happened?"  
  
Sara started off on a long story, which began after she was teleported. When she came to,  
all the cloakies had surrounded her. At first, they praised her too, but she was scared, and tried  
to leave. They caught her on the way out, and asked her why she wanted to leave. When she told them  
that she just wanted to get away from people who praised her for being a freak, someone bought out  
a Horsea and hosed her. In her weakened state, they dragged her down here and locked her in here.  
Since then, she hadn't eaten anything or even been let out.  
  
"Vulpix you found my Pidgeotto."  
  
"Chu Pidgeotto?" I suddenly remembered that Railina had mentioned that Sara also had a  
Pidgeotto. Apparently, Sara was none too pleased with being locked in a cage, and was showing the  
cloakies the extent of her vocabulary. Her Pidgeotto, who had been teleported with everyone else,  
happened to overhear her shouts. There was a broken window which she flew through(I could see it  
high up one of the walls.), and Sara asked her Poke'mon for help. Since it couldn't get the lock  
open, it'd been trying to get someone else to help. It'd happened to see me in the attic, and had  
been trying since to get me down here.  
  
I suddenly felt sick with myself. I'd been up, feeling all high and mighty about being  
praised, and not five hundred feet away, Sara was being treated like a demon. I'd let my own ego  
get in the way of people I was trying to help. I felt like puking in disgust with myself.  
  
"Don't worry, Raichu getting Chu out of there." I held the padlock that locked her cage.  
Soon, my tail should pick the lock, and then...  
  
"Leader? Are you down there?"  
  
A candle-holding cloaky came down the stairs, when he saw me talking to Sara, he suddenly  
ran down.  
  
"Please, Leader, get away from her! She is a demon!"  
  
"Demon? Rai..."  
  
"You've had contact with her! Oh, all hope is lost!"  
  
He continued to rant on like this, and soon, the rest of the cloakies came down and started  
whining themselves. I didn't care about that, but I realized I was going to have problems getting  
Sara out of here, since I was outnumbered about 35 to 1!  
  
"We must destroy the demon before she can infect our leader!" The lead cloaky reached for  
a Poke'Ball he had in his cloak. When I saw him pull it out, I tried to tackle him and wrestle it  
away, but he threw it out just before I reached him, forcing me to jump back and get ready for a  
fight.  
  
"Paras!"  
  
"Sleep Powder!"  
  
The mushrooms on its back began to shake and emit the blue stuff. Unlike back at the police  
station, though, I had plenty of room to get out of the way.  
  
"Sara!" The remenants of the powder drifted toward Sara, trapped in her cage. She held   
her breath for as long as she could, but it floated there for what seemed like forever. Finally,  
she just had to breathe. Onle inhalment of the stuff and she was in a deep slumber.  
  
Paras turned to face me, ready to attack. I wasn't too worried. After all, I was biger,  
faster and smarter. Heck, I could suddenly turn into a Raichu right now and still kick its...mushrooms?  
(Hey, Paras' don't have definable butts to kick! Can I help that?)  
  
"Paras Paras." It clicked its front arms together, almost like it was challenging me.  
  
"Chu wanna fight? Rai game!" I had this so easi...wait...is it growing? Paras seemed to be  
getting noticably larger. Actually, all the cloakies did too. Everything was getting bigger.  
  
"Raichu, Chu Rai Rai?" There was a sound like a bone snapping, and suddenly my hands were  
shrinking. Actually, I was shrinking everywhere...oh no! I'm going totally Raichu!  
  
I watched in horror as my hands slowly shrunk away into nothing, leaving me with handless  
nubs for arms. My clothes were in a heap around me, but that was fine, since everything from what   
was left of my waist down had changed to Raichu shape and proportions. My vision blurred for a moment  
as I felt my face shifting and moving like puddy, which creeped me out big time. When my vision  
returned, I scrambled out of my now gigantic clothes.  
  
"Raichu Rai, Rai...Chu Rai Rai, Chu Raichu." I sighed. *Well, I said I could take this thing  
on as a Raichu...so I guess I pretty much asked for this.*  
  
Naturally, the cloakies were in shock. Those that didn't have their hoods up were gawking,   
and the rest weren't moving at all. Even Paras seemed to be paralyzed. That helped, especially when  
I charged at it and punched it right in the mouth. It stumbled back a little before it responded.  
  
"Paras!" *I wasn't ready!*  
  
"Raichu!" *Too bad!*  
  
Now it charged forward on it's many legs and began Fury Swiping at me. I dodged most of   
them, But I did get nicked a few times in the side, and it jabbed me once in the arm pretty good.  
  
"Raichu!" *That hurt!* One swipe went wild, leaving me just a moment to counter. I tried  
to form another bolt like I did back at Sara's house. Surely I'd do better, right?  
  
"RAICHU!" I cried out. Electricity flowed out of my cheeks, surrounding me totally. "RAICHU!"  
A small bolt shot out from the surrounding electricty, fried Paras for about a second, then returned,  
and all the rest of the electricty dissappeared as well.  
  
"Raichu..." *Well, that stunk...* Paras shook off the attack and released Stun Spore at me.  
I dove to the side to avoid the yellowish mist. Scrambling to all fours, I charged and responded   
with a Tackle. Much to my surprise, the Paras was knocked onto it's back, then just seemed to give  
up.  
  
"Pidgeo, Pidge Pidge Pidgeo." *That's a pretty pathetic Paras.* Pidgeotto had flown off my  
shoulder when I shrunk and was now perched on top of the cage.  
  
"Raichu." *I'll say.* The lead cloaky now fell on his knees. The others looked confused,  
but they quickly followed his example.  
  
"He defeated my mightest Poke'mon. He is truly our Leader!"  
  
"Pidgeo? Pidge Pidgeo." *Mightest Poke'mon? I doubt it.*  
  
"Chu, Rai Raichu?" *Have you seen his team?*  
  
"Pidge Pidge. Pidgeo, Pidgeo Pidge Pidge." *Yeah, when I was waiting for you. Everything  
else he has is way stronger than that Paras.*  
  
That was odd. If he had way stronger Poke'mon, why send out a Paras? This guy was up to  
something. The leader guy picked me up, but I decided to wait to see what he wanted before I fried  
him. He told another cloaky to gather my clothes, and carried me back to the room where I'd slept  
before. The lead cloaky set me down on the bed and went over to the table where'd I'd found that  
book. He reached into his cloak and pulled out something, what I couldn't see.  
  
The other cloakies came in and bowed to me for a while. One of the cloakies asked the   
leader to join them. He hastily put down the book and joined them for a few seconds, then said I  
should be left alone to rest. Pidgeotto flew in just as they left, with the lead cloaky grabbing a  
book off the table before leaving.  
  
"Pidgeo Pidge." *Hey, he grabbed the wrong book.*  
  
"Raichu? Chu Rai, Rai Raichu?" *He did? Can you grab it for me?*  
  
"Pidgeo. Pidge Pidgeo Pidgeo, Pidgeo!" *Oh no. I'm not letting you get a big head again!*  
  
"Raichu Rai, Rai Chu Rai Rai!" *I promise, I won't get a big head again!*  
  
"Pidge..." *Alright...* She flew over to the table, grabbed the book in her talons and   
bought it over to the bed.  
  
I slowly opened the book and looked it over. This wasn't any book of praise. Holy...this  
was far from it!  
  
"Raichu, Rai Chu Chu Raichu!" *Pidgeotto, we got to make a plan, now!*  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Pidgeotto, come Rai!"  
  
"Pidgeo!"   
  
Now that I'd changed back, Pidgeotto was going nuts. She probably freaked out when she saw  
me change, even though I was still mostly under the covers. I'd hastily thrown on my clothes and  
chased after her.  
  
"Not upstairs!" I scrambled up the stairs in time to see her fly out the hole in the wall.  
I yelled after her, but she didn't listen and flew out of sight.  
  
I swore under my breath and went back downstairs, not in a good mood. The lead cloaky met  
me at the room where I'd been staying.  
  
"What happened, Leader?"  
  
"Rai Pidgeotto just flew Chu coop!"  
  
"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do for you?"  
  
"Raichu...Rai could use something to eat."  
  
"Follow me." I followed him again, still annoyed at Pidgeotto. If I got my hands on her...  
  
"Hey, Raichu we going?" This wasn't the path to the kitchen. The cloaky continued on to the  
end of the hall, and I followed him down. At the end of the hallway, he opened a door, revealing a...  
  
"Hypno, Hypnosis!"  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
It was time.  
  
The sun was just starting to rise as my master gave me my instructions, making sure I   
understood them. I nodded, my eyes closed. Knife in hand, I proceeded up the stairs, out to the  
opening in the attic.  
  
There. I opened my eyes to see the fur covered girl. She was tied to a flagpole right above  
the outside of the hole. The rope was wrapped all around her body, and a piece was tied to the  
flagpole. Her legs were also bound, with a large rock hanging off those ropes. My master had said  
this was nesscary so the task was done right. Where once there were mattress, there was a 15 foot  
hole in the earth, filled up with water. My master explained that they just covered it up, so that  
the others wouldn't see. They weren't true believers. They wouldn't be allowed to see this.  
  
The girl cried for help. She kept saying some name, looking at me when she said it. She was  
wrong. I had no name. Besides, she was my masters enemy. She had to be taken care of. I ran a finger  
alongthe blade, testing its sharpness. Yes, it would do.  
  
With one quick motion of my brown fur covered hand, I sliced the rope connected to the flagpole.  
The girl screamed as she fell. I turned away and dropped the knife as instructed. When I heard the  
splash of water, the silence, I was done.  
  
I slowly went back downstairs. My task was done.  
  
The girl would no longer be a problem for my master, or anyone for that matter. 


	12. The Vaccuum That Wouldn't Stop Sucking

Alright, back to work on the story! Sorry about the cliffhanger, but hey, I gotta keep my readers  
intrested. I'm gonna try not to end in a cliffhanger this chapter. Really, I am! As usual, e-mail me   
with ideas. I've gotten a few so far, but more is always welcome. The chapter title will seem a bit  
weird at first, but it'll make sense as the chapter goes on. Anyway, here's Chp. 12!  
  
Note: For anyone who hates or hated their school principal(and lets face it, who doesn't?), this  
is the chapter for you!  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Chp.12- The Vaccuum That Wouldn't Stop Sucking.  
  
I returned to my master, who was in what he called the ritual room. He was pacing back  
and forth, looking rather nervous. He quickly acknowledged my presence as I entered. I stood in  
front of him, waiting for further instructions.  
  
"Is it done?" he asked. I nodded slowly. She was gone. My master let out a sigh of   
relief.  
  
"Good. Kneel." I dropped to one knee, head down. "With her out of the way, and you under  
my control, I can take control of every branch of our sacred religion!"  
  
"Yes, master."  
  
"I was worried when you got hold of my plans," he said, facing the bed of roses. His   
back was to me, but he stood only a few inches away. "but I still managed to get you. I still   
don't know exactly how you managed to be tricked so easily...but it is of no matter. No one will  
understand a Poke'mon, and the girl is dead."  
  
"Yes, master."  
  
"Hmm...now do I want to rule with power, or should I try to convince everyone to join me  
first? Since your under my power, I can take whatever I want...but maybe it'd be better for me to  
earn as much respect as possible? Then again, it's better to be feared than loved. Desicions,  
desicions..."  
  
"Master?"  
  
"Yes, what is it?"   
  
He turned to look at me. I looked up at him and smiled. A second too late, he realized   
something was wrong. I don't know what hit harder; the fact that I wasn't under his control, or  
the uppercut that I caught him right under the chin with.  
  
BAM!  
  
He stumbled back from the blow, rubbing his sore jaw. I rose to my feet and faced him.  
When he raised his head to look at me, I gave him a quick right hook. The last thing he probably  
saw was a brown fur covered hand before his world got dark. He sprawled out on the floor, out   
like a light.  
  
"Ow..." I moaned, blowing on my sore hand. I thought he was dense, and his skull sure  
supported that theory. When the pain stopped, I ran outside to check on Sara. Pidgeotto was just  
pecking through the last of the ropes that held her as she stood a good fifteen feet from the water.  
  
"Are Chu alright?" I asked.  
  
She didn't say anything at first. As soon as her arms were free, though, her response was  
clear.  
  
SLAP!  
  
"Ow!" I rubbed my now sore cheek. "What was Rai for?"  
  
"Vul thought Vul was gonna die!" she exclaimed.   
  
"Well, sorry, but Raichu to do it! Raichu it would've screwed Chu the plan! Besides," I  
pointed out, "Rai can't help it the chapters Rai ending in cliffhangers!"  
  
"Hmph." She seemed unhappy with this theory, but at least she didn't hit me again. She  
undid the ropes around her feet, the rock now gone. "Alright, Vulpix. What happened? I thought  
Pix were under hypnosis when Vul cut that rope."  
  
"All part Raichu plan."  
  
When she was free and we'd started walking to Joy's house, I explained what really happened  
last night. Once we realized the plan to get control of me and eliminate Sara, Pidgeotto and I  
made a plan. The book explained how the leader planned to hypnotize both me and Pidgeotto. Then,  
we could eliminate Sara for him, since, as he wrote in the book, he feared she would take revenge  
on him if he cut her loose himself.   
  
Once we knew that he planned to get us both under hypnosis, we figured out how to   
counteract that. Pidgeotto's flying away was just so she wouldn't be controlled. The lead cloaky  
saw her as no threat to his plan if she was gone, so then he just worried about me. After he got  
me, he made me stay in the room where I'd been staying before. As I guessed, he got over confident,  
and didn't even bother to close the door to the room. It was a simple task for Pidgeotto to fly  
back in later and snap me out of it. Since then, I'd just be pretending to be under his control.  
  
"But Vul did she snap Pix out of it?"  
  
I pulled down the collar on my shirt to reveal the front of my shoulder. The holes had   
healed over, but you could still see the four small spots of red stained fur, souviners from the   
holes Pidgeotto left from digging her talons into me as hard as possible. It's a well known fact   
that pain overrides hypnosis, especially sharp, sudden pains, like being cut with a knife or, in my   
case, digging talons into one's flesh.  
  
Anyway, once I was out of his control, we were going to proceed with the plan, with just  
one minor adjustment. The rock that was tied to the ropes of her feet was hanging on by a thread,  
thanks to Pidgeotto's pecking at the rope. A second after I cut the rope that held Sara up,   
Pidgeotto swooped in, grabbed the remenants of the rope I'd just cut and started flapping. Had we  
left the rock alone, there would've been no way to stop the fall, but the slight jerk from  
Pidgeotto grabbing and flapping her wings was just enough to break the rope and cause the rock to  
drop, causing the splashing sound I heard. From there, it was easy to fly Sara away from the water,  
now that the heavy weight was gone.  
  
After I told her what happened back at the building, Sara then asked what had happened in  
her town. I was a little hesitant to respond here. Sure, that trenchcoat guy said that the police  
would be overthrown, but could I trust him? This was the same guy that caused me to wake up   
cut and bleeding.  
  
"Rai...don't know..."  
  
"Vul don't know?!"  
  
It looked like she was about to slap me again, so I blurted out what had happened since I  
met Railina. She seemed kind of angry that I'd just left, but when I pointed out it was so I could  
go find her, she was a bit more understanding.  
  
Sara was a little hesitant to come with me into the city, but I convinced her that there  
was someone here we could trust. We knocked on Joy's door just as the sun was in full view. When  
Joy(in her usual dress and human form) saw the two of us, she quickly pulled us inside.  
  
"Nidoran!" Joy called out. "Dan's back! And he's got a friend!"  
  
"Nido?"Nidoran ran in from the kitchen to me. I introduced the two of them to Sara.   
They exchanged hello's, and Joy asked if this was the owner of Railina. When Sara heard this, she  
wanted to go over immediatly to see her. Joy went to get her coat, but I pulled her aside at the  
closet.  
  
"Joy, Raichu. Sara's been dealing Rai alot lately, so please, be super careful Chu her.  
She's Raichu not happy about being a Hybrid, and Rai really killing her inside."  
  
Joy nodded understandingly. We all went over together, since the festival was supposed to  
go on for a least another week, and soon kids would be pouring in again. I wished we had festivals  
like this in Pallet. The longest festival we ever had was our annual Cheese Festival, but really,  
who goes to a Cheese Festival? It just so weird that someone actually thought that a festival   
with a cheese theme was a good idea!  
  
Sara was really happy now that she was reunited with all her Poke'mon. It made me think  
back to Bulbasaur and how he'd stuck by me through all this. I was really starting to miss him,  
and hoped he was O.K.  
  
Soon enough, kids were pouring into the Center. With now two Hybrids and three Poke'mon   
to share all the work, it was much easier to keep the kids happy. Vaporeon refused to help. He   
just continued to stay in one of the recovery rooms bed, not talking to anyone. He never moved or  
said anything, but just laid there. I was starting to worry about him.  
  
As the day wore on, I noticed Sara was actually enjoying herself. The kids liked her, and  
that was a big boost for her self-esteem. They didn't just like her because she was a Hybrid, but  
because she was a good person in general. She played with them, she talked with them, and did  
everything she could do keep them happy, and they liked her for that.  
  
Joy asked where I'd been, and that much I explained. However, she stayed away from what my  
mother had said to get me so mad in the first place, and that was good for me. I was still unsure  
about telling ethier of them what the source of our Hybridism was. I kept reminding myself I had  
to look at that note Mom faxed over to me, but with everything else going on, I kept forgetting  
to.  
  
After another day of entertaining the kids, I convinced Sara to help me and Joy look for  
Bulbasaur, the only missing member of our little group. We spilt up to cover more ground. Sara,  
Joy and Railina made up one group, and me, Nidoran and Pidgeotto made up the second group. Joy  
volunteered to take Sara, and it made sense. Joy was an older, more mature person. She could help  
Sara sort out her Hybird problems better than I could.  
  
For four nights, we searched the entire city, keeping the groups the same. We slept when   
we could, and spent the rest of the time working at the Center. Still, by night five, I was losing  
hope of ever finding Bulbasaur.  
  
After an unsuccessful search on my part, I headed back to Joy's house, feeling rather  
gloomy. I'd arrived back first, so I was forced to wait for the others. We'd arrived back by six,  
and everyone had agreed the latest everyone should be back was by six-thirty. The following is  
what happened in the next few hours, in half-hour increments.  
  
6:30 a.m.- No sign of Sara, Joy or Railina. I don't panic. They'll walk in the door   
any minute.  
  
7:00 a.m.- Still no sign of Sara or the others. I start to worry. Pidgeotto knocks over   
a lamp onto Nidoran's head. They start to fight.  
  
7:30 a.m.- I finally break up the fight, and begin to really worry about everyone else.  
  
8:00 a.m.- Center needs to be opened in an hour. No one is coming in the door, and,   
"normal" people are starting to wake up.  
  
8:30 a.m.- I go to kitchen, find city employment office phone number, and fake Joy's   
voice on the VidPhone(keeping off the screen), saying I'm ill, and can't work today. When asked   
why my voice sounds deeper than usual, I tell them it's because of a cold.   
  
9:00 a.m.- Replacment doctor arrives at Center. Still no sign of the others. I consider  
going out and searching myself, but realize that they could be anywhere, and that I can only hold  
my human form for just over fifteen minutes now. Failure would be certain.  
  
9:30 a.m.- Phone rings. I let the machine pick up, but when I hear a person asking how  
everything went last night, I grab the reciever...  
  
"Hello?" I asked. As I spoke, I started to picture my human form in my mind.  
  
"Hello? Joy?" an unfamiliar male voice responded. My ears slowly shrank to human size and  
shape.  
  
"Rai...Yes, it's me." I again faked Joy's voice. My feet slowly shrunk, and the two large  
Raichu toes on each foot began to split into five human toes. It's sort of like watching the wax   
of a candle melt and using that like you'd sculp clay, except it's more nausiating when you   
realize this is happening to your body.  
  
"Oh...are you O.K.? You sound weird." There's a loud, "SHLOOP!", and my tail was sucked  
into my spine like someone slurpping up pasta.  
  
"Yes, Rai fine, just a little...sick." My fur slowly receeded into my skin, and I felt my  
ears were at their normal size and shape.  
  
"...Whatever. Did everything go O.K. last night?" My feet now looked human, save for being  
covered in rapidly shrinking fur.  
  
"Last night?"  
  
"Yeah, last night. You said you were gonna get all my stuff back for me." My face felt funny  
for a moment as my nose grew into a normal human one, and the remaining fur dissappeared all together.  
  
"Your stuff. Right..." Other than a little fur, I was now total human, which also meant I  
could talk straight, at least till I changed back. A thought suddenly occured to me. Did Sara know  
she could become human again? I'd just gotten so used to being like this, I hadn't said anything  
about it. That would really make her happy if she knew.  
  
"You do remember, right? My Poke'mon, my cards, my Gameboy; you got it all, right?"  
  
"Um...of course..." Of course...I had no clue what this kid was talking about! "Yes...I got  
it all back from..."  
  
"The school principal?"  
  
"Right!" School principal? "Yes, your school principal at..." Help me out here, kid!  
  
"Adamsville High?"  
  
"Right!" Adamsville High? I guess I start looking for the others there, I thought.  
  
"Are you sure your O.K.? I was worried when I saw you wandering around by the school with  
that girl and the Raichu. Are you sure you were looking for that Bulbasaur I found?"  
  
"Yes I wa..." Bulbasaur? This kid had Bulbasaur! "Why don't you stop by my house tonight,  
and I'll give you your things, and I can take the Bulbasaur back?"  
  
"O.K., I'll be there. Bye." He hung up on his end. I hung up on my end and ran across   
the street. Quickly getting a city Map Card from the replacment doctor(who looked oddly at me when  
he realized I wasn't wearing any shoes or socks), I ran back to the house and put together the   
same stuff that Joy used to sneak me to the gym during the tournement. I was forced to return to   
my Hybrid form, and as usual, I was dead tired. Luckily, Joy bought a lot of sweet snacks, and   
all the sugar gave me a much needed energy boost. After tying together my ears as best as possible,   
putting on the coat and bandana like before, I had Pidgeotto perch on my shoulder, I held Nidoran  
in my arms, and we were off.  
  
It was a little hard to find the high school. First, a lot of people stared at my weird  
get-up, especially since there wasn't a cloud in the sky and I was walking around in a giant  
raincoat. Second, Pidgeotto kept shifting her weight, and that threw off my balance. Third, I had  
to juggle both Nidoran and my Poke'Dex at the same time so I could see where I was going.   
Twice I dropped my Poke'Dex, and once I actually dropped Nidoran, who got rather mad at me. Last,  
the fact I had Poke'mon out of their balls and around my body in some way got a lot of weird looks.  
It's a good thing I'd also swiped some gloves from Joy, or else people would've wondered why my  
hands were covered in fur, as well.  
  
After about 45 minutes of wandering, I found Adamsville High. It was about three stories  
high and took up a lot of space. I wandered around it until I found an unlocked back door(School  
security at it's finest, I guess). After checking to make sure no one was in the immediate area,  
I went in.  
  
I'd ended up in a long hallway, with tons of doors. They must have led off to various  
classrooms. No one was in the hall, so it must've been a class period now. There was a lot of noise  
coming from the various classrooms, but a few didn't have any noise coming out of them at all.  
I quickly went into one of the nearby quiet classrooms.  
  
This was a science classroom of some sort. Probably a chemistry room, judging by all the   
bottles of liquids, the burners and the complex science formula written on the blackboard. I knew  
I needed to be able to move around, but I couldn't do that in the halls. There was a vent cover  
nearby. Maybe I could move around through the ventalation sys...  
  
"Come on guys, in here."  
  
Someone was right outside! I dove behind the teacher's desk just as the owner of the voice  
came in, along with several other kids. Pidgeotto was forced to get off my shoulder as I dove, so  
I reached up and quickly yanked her down, clamping my other hand over her beak. Nidoran was smothered  
underneath me, so he couldn't make any noise. I removed my disguse as they spoke.  
  
"Are you sure no one knows were here?"  
  
"Positive. There's no way they could have noticed us leave lunch so we could play."  
  
"Alright...come on, enough talk. Let's start playing!  
  
They set up their game as I checked on the Poke'mon. Pidgeotto stopped struggling, so I   
let her go. I got off Nidoran, and, after making sure he knew to keep quiet, let him go. After  
a few seconds, I heard many familiar things.  
  
That's the theme music for the Poke'mon Simulator!, I thought. There was also the music  
of other video games; Magi-Nation, Super Mario, Legend of Zelda(I couldn't tell if it was Ages,  
Season, or another one), amoungst others. Waiting a few more minutes, I heard more familar arguments.  
  
"I tap two and summon my Pygmy Razorback."  
  
"O.K., but first I hit your forest with a Rain of Tears, so it's destroyed, and you can't  
play your creature."  
  
"You can't play that now! It's a sorcery! You can only play those on your turn!"  
  
"No, I can play it now!"  
  
Magic The Gathering? I used to play that all the time with my friends during study hall   
and lunch back when I was in school. I always dominated the lesser planeswalkers that were my  
friends during the game. O.K., so I lost once or twice...or more...oh, I'm a liar! Unlike my  
friends, I didn't have all sorts of money to spend on cards, and as a result, I almost always  
lost.  
  
The beeps of electronics and screaming over what cards where playable when kept up for  
about seven or eight minutes. I was starting to worry about being spotted when I heard a loud  
"CRUNCH!", followed by several rapid footsteps.  
  
"Alright you punks!" I glanced around the corner to see a very angry looking old man with  
a walkie-talkie yelling, along with several school monitors surrounding the kids. "You're all   
getting ISS!(For those who don't know, ISS is short for In School Suspension. I'm told you sit in   
a room, have your teachers send you down schoolwork, and when that's done, you just sit there for   
the rest of the day. You can't talk, draw or do anything. I've never gotten it myself, so I don't   
know if that's really true.)  
  
"H..how...how'd you know?!" one of the kids stammered.  
  
"That's none of your buisness! I know you were all gambling in here, and that's what  
matters!" he responded.  
  
"But...but...Mr. Blackheart...we weren't gambling! None of us even have any money!"  
  
"Don't lie to me! I know you were gambling! Give me all of your things, now!" Slowly, the  
kids handed over their cards and games to the evil man. I thought maybe I should do something in  
the name of all teenagers everywhere, except I'd be putting myself in a really bad position if I  
did.  
  
The kids were escorted out with the monitors. The old man took all of the things out  
with him in his arms. I waited a minute or two, then ran and quickly shut the door. Moving a desk  
under the vent cover, I popped it off, placed Pidgeotto and Nidoran inside, then climbed through  
myself.  
  
Nidoran walked in front of me while I crawled behind him, and Pidgeotto hopped along behind  
me. It was a little tight, but I could make it through with little problem. It was impossible to  
find anything by sound; the metal and tightness of the vents made any sound bounce around and mix  
up horribly. I knew generally where the front of the building was, and I've learned from experience  
that the office of schools are near the front, so I had a small idea of where I was going. Even  
still, it took us about an hour to find the principals office.  
  
We huddled together and peered down into the office. Sitting in the principals chair was  
the angry old man who'd just taken all those kids things. Logically, he probably was the principal.  
He sat there for a while, writing papers and making phone calls. I was starting to get rather bored  
with all this. The walkie-talkie which he had earlier was sitting on his desk, and about one in  
the afternoon, it crackled to life.  
  
"Vaccuum, we have a ten-four in Room 316. Repeat, 10-4 in 316." The principal grabbed his  
walkie-talkie and held down the talk button.  
  
"Blackheart here. I'll be there in a minute." The principal abruptly got up and ran out of  
the room. As soon as he closed the door, I kicked off the vent cover and hopped down. Pidgeotto   
fluttered out, and I caught Nidoran when he hopped out.  
  
"Rai, guys. Look around Chu here. See if Chu can find anything that Raichu tell us where  
Sara and Joy are."  
  
I locked the door, and we started our search. Well, I started my search. Pidgeotto couldn't  
really do anything at all in a raid, except knock down awards that hung on the wall. Nidoran ran  
around too, but all he did was knock stuff over. Actually, that was probably all he was trying to  
do.   
  
I raided the principals desk. Nothing suspicious. I looked through the various school   
papers, seeing nothing of intrest. I tried the computer on the desk, but it was password protected,   
and I couldn't get in. When that didn't work, I felt back for one of the wires on the computer,  
yanked one out and started to rip away at the plastic with my teeth, getting down to the bare wire.  
When that was cleared away, I started to chew on it. O.K., so it was vandilism, but I was hungry!  
  
I was starting to put away the papers when one slipped out and floated under the desk. I  
went under the table to grab it. I quickly grabbed it and started to get up, banging my head   
against the table in the process.   
  
"RAI!" I moved my head back down and rubbed the sore spot. As I did, my hand brushed   
against something on the underside of the desk. It was a switch of some sort. Curious, I flipped  
it. There was the sound of something like stone moving, then silence. I moved out and looked   
around to see what had happened.  
  
"Well, Raichu intresting..." A hole had opened up in the wall, revealing a hidden   
passageway. I instructed the Poke'mon to follow me, and we explored the new found room.  
  
The passageway was rather short, and quickly led to three different doors made of plain  
wood. Each one had a label over it. One said, "Cards". Another said, "Poke'mon". The last one read,  
"Games".   
  
"Enny-menny-miney-moe...Ah, Raichu it." I opened the door closest to me, the one labeled  
"Cards", and stepped in.  
  
What first got me was the vast size of the room. What got me next was the fact that the  
walls and floors were covered with cards in plastic cases, like someone would lay down tile. There  
was a huge stack of them in the corner, probably because the entire room was already covered with  
them! All sorts of cards were there; baseball, Magic, Poke'mon, Magi-Nation...and rather rare cards  
at that. Actually, all of them were rare cards, even the ones I was stepping on and the ones that  
covered the walls.  
  
I quickly went out and tried the door labeled, "Games". It was pretty much the same story.  
Video games in clear plastic cases, each meant to fit according to the system the game was for,  
covered the entire room. Again, there was also a huge stack of games that couldn't be fitted   
anywhere else. Rapidly exiting that room, I opened the door labeled "Poke'mon", praying that it   
wouldn't be the same as the other two.  
  
Well, it wasn't exactly the same. There were Poke Balls all over the floor and walls, but  
there was a large pane of glass over those, probably so they wouldn't break. There was a large  
pile of Poke Balls in one corner. There was, however, something that hadn't been in the other   
rooms.  
  
"JOY!" Large chains, connected to the bare wooden ceiling and extended all the way to the  
floor, held Joy in her Hybird form in shackles. Her face lit up when she saw me.  
  
"Dan! But...how'd you know...?  
  
"Don't worry about Rai." Looking quickly, I saw a keyring hanging off a hook on the door,   
with a solitary key hanging from it. I grabbed it and went over to Joy, looking for the locks.  
"What happened?"  
  
"The three of us found a boy trying to break in here using your Bulbasaur. I went to my  
human form and asked what he was doing while Sara and Railina hid. He was trying to get in so he  
could get his stuff from the, "Vaccuum", as he called it."  
  
"Rai principal." Joy looked shocked. I started to unlock the shackles as I explained.  
"Rai kid called Chu house looking for Chu. Raichu he was going to Raichu Bulbasaur over tonight."  
  
"That was the deal we made. If I got all his things back, he'd give us Bulbasaur. Once he  
left, I called over Sara, and the three of us went in through a window he'd opened. We explored for  
a while, but something got us from behind. It hit me in the back of the head, and the next thing I  
knew, I was here."  
  
"O.K." I undid the last lock, and Joy rose to her feet, dusting herself off. "What does  
Rai do with all the stuff Chu takes?"  
  
"My guess? He keeps what he likes and gives the rest back."  
  
That would explain the kids before. They got their stuff confiscated for "gambling", and  
he was probably going to take some of it. That's pointless, though. You can gamble on anything,  
even stuff that doesn't have to do with games or cards. "Hey, I bet you ten bucks he's going to  
drink that water", or, "Twenty bucks says she gets 2% milk". It's lame, but so are people   
sometimes. If they really want people to stop gambling in school, students can only be able to sit  
in a class and do nothing, and the teacher for that matter, because if they learned something,   
you could gamble on the answers to equations or on what page they'd have to go to. It's ridiculous   
to punish kids for something that's bound to happen anyway!  
  
"Wait...Raichu Sara? And Railina?"  
  
"I don't know. They weren't here when I woke...Chansey..."  
  
"What is i...Raichu!" Sitting on top of the pile of Poke Balls were two special ones.   
One was yellow and white, and had a black lightining bolt printed over the button. Another was  
the basic red and white, except it had a little flame printed over the button, and a little, "S",  
printed under the button. Oh no...Sara was in that Poke Ball!   
  
I quickly pressed the buttons on both Poke Balls. Only Railina's opened. She materialized  
on the floor while I grabbed the Poke Ball that held Sara.  
  
"Raichu!" she cried out. She looked around and said something, which Joy translated for   
me as, "Where's Sara?"  
  
"Railina, Sara's..." Could I tell her that Sara was in a device meant for Railina? I guess  
I didn't have much choice. "...here."   
  
Railina looked up at the ball, then started yelling a lot of things. Joy basically   
translated it as, "We have to get her out of there!", but I caught a few choice words on my own.  
  
"We'll get her out. Don't worry about it." Joy assured her. Joy ran out, but told me to  
stay for a minute and cover my ears. Confused, I did as I was told. The Poke'mon did the same,  
to the best of their ability. Joy came back about five minutes later.   
  
"What'd Chu do?"   
  
"First, I used the P.A. system to Chansey that the principal was a theif, and that anyone   
who wanted their things back should come to his office..."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Don't get excited! I sang when I was done, which is why I had you cover your ears.  
Everyone in the school, and anyone outside who could hear the announcment, should be fast asleep.  
We can get out of here without being noticed."  
  
"Good." I didn't want to just leave all those Poke'mon behind, but it was for the best.  
If we tried to release them all, it'd be mass chaos and destruction. I would've loved it, but   
I suppose there would be a slight risk that someone would get hurt.  
  
Joy led the way out and through the various alleyways back to her house(after all, she lived  
here). As soon as we got in the house, I ran straight for the garage. Finding the mallet Joy used  
before, I placed the Poke Ball on the workbench and...  
  
CRUNCH!  
  
The Poke Ball smashed into a thousand tiny pieces. A small ball of light was the only   
thing that remained intact, and that slowly formed into a living creature. Sara's body slid off   
onto the floor when it was fully formed.  
  
"She's not...dead, is she?" Joy asked, having just came in. I knelt down next to Sara.  
No, she was alive. She had a pulse and no visible injuries. Actually, there was a weird noise  
coming from her muzzle. What the...  
  
"Rai snoring!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Rai asleep. Maybe Rai just got tired and tried Rai rest."  
  
Between the two of us, we managed to get Sara over to the couch in the living room. Joy  
threw a blanket over her, and I pulled over a chair next to her, so I could keep an eye on her.  
Joy made some food, and we ate, all five of us(Poke'mon included), just sitting there, watching  
this one girl.  
  
At about eight o'clock that night, there was a knock at the door. Joy shifted to human,  
the Poke'mon went into hiding, and I threw the blanket totally over a still sleeping Sara before  
joining the Poke'mon. I couldn't hear much from my spot in the garage, but Joy poked her head in  
about ten minutes later, holding in her arms...  
  
"Bulbasaur!"  
  
"Bulba!" he said. Joy put him down, and he ran over to me, definitly happy to see me.   
After we got over our initial happiness, I told him everything that had happened, and assured him  
that I didn't abandon him. He didn't seem to need much convincing there, but it didn't matter. The  
important thing was that we were back together.  
  
We stayed up for a little longer after that, but not too long. We'd all had a rough day,  
and everyone else was asleep by the time I'd made myself comfortable on the couch. I looked over  
our little group and smiled. This was good. Everyone was back together, and nothing else needed  
to be dealt with. We'd be fine.  
  
Still, I reminded myself as my eyes slowly fluttered closed, a lot can happen in a day.  
After all, look what happened to me in one day...  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
And here ends chapter twelve. As always, please read and review. I've got another quote today, but  
I also have a web site, too. If any of you like the original Final Fantasy, don't mind a little  
cussing, and love humor, then this comic is definitly for you! It's called the 8-bit theater, and  
the website is: www.nuklearpower.com  
  
"I AM THE BLACK MAGE! I CASTS THE SPELLS THAT MAKES PEOPLES FALL DOWN!"  
  
Black Mage, trying to get a White Mage to like him. 


	13. An Egnima Wrapped in Water

Chp. 13 is going to be from Sara's POV. I'd like to thank all my readers who've reviewed and/or  
sent me e-mails since I've begun the story. You've all been a source of inspiration for me(except  
for the people who gave bad reviews. They'll never hear the black helicopters coming for them...)  
*sigh* I guess I better stop babbling and start writing. Please read and review when you are  
done; I shall again appricate it very much. Here's Chp. 13!  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chp. 13- An Egnima Wrapped in Water  
  
  
"Sara? Sara?"  
  
Someone was shaking me, trying to wake me up. I tried to pull away from them, thinking  
it was that guy who captured me before. If it was, he was about to be very surprised when I didn't  
obey him. When I opened my eyes, though, I saw not him, but Joy, not really able to give me a   
good hard shake with her handless arms.  
  
"Joy?" I mumbled, still half-asleep. "Did he get Vul too?"  
  
"What? No, were back at my house. Dan found us and helped get us out of there."  
  
I looked around and noticed the familiar surroundings that Joy's house had become in the  
past few days. Dan slept in a nearby chair, and our Poke'mon slept in various places around the  
room. I sat on the edge of the couch, pulling some of my hair out of my eyes.  
  
"Are you O.K.? We were worried about you when we realized you were captured."  
  
"No, Vul fine now." I assured her. Now that I thought about it, I barely even remembered  
falling asleep in there. It must have been hours before I finally just gave up and closed my eyes.  
All I really remembered about being in that ball is worrying about being forced to obey the man  
who caught me, even if he was a cruel old fool. Apparently, that wasn't the case. I felt no need  
to find the person behind my capture and follow his orders.  
  
Now that I was awake, I ate breakfast and changed into some clothes that Joy bought me when  
I first came here. I've watched Dan eat sometimes, and I must say, it's kinda distirbing watching  
him stuff his face like that. With all that food he must eat, it's amazing that he hasn't gained  
any weight since all this started. He asks me if I ever feel like that. Sure, I can see I'm   
hungrier than I used to be, but I can control myself. He just loses control and leaves a path of  
wrappers and crumbs in his wake, and sometimes there aren't even any crumbs.  
  
Anyway, Dan soon woke up, and we once again made the trek across the street to the   
Poke'mon Center. In my head, I was debating what I should do with myself now if I had no idea what  
was currently happening in my town. I'd already tried calling home once from a pay phone during  
our search for Bulbasaur. All I got was one of those, "This number had been disconnected," messages.  
It kind of made sense, since the police had cut all the phone lines in the town to keep anyone from  
phoning for help.  
  
"Huh?" Joy pulled off a piece of paper from the glass doors that had been stuck there.   
She looked it over, then muttered, "Wish they'd tell me these things..."  
  
"What is Rai?" Dan asked.  
  
"There's supposed to be an auction tonight for Poke'mon who couldn't be kept by their   
trainers or were abandoned."  
  
"So what's Vul problem?" I asked.  
  
"It's supposed to be held here, and no one said a thing to me about it."  
  
"Pix." Now I could see a problem.   
  
"Guys, you know I hate to ask, but there's going to be a lot of little kids..."  
  
"Sure. Raichu help Chu out tonight."  
  
"Thank you." She smiled and laughed a little. "How'd I survive these things before you  
two came along?"  
  
We went in the Center and Joy headed to the phone. While Dan and I went to go check on his  
Vaporeon that didn't want to seem to listen to anyone, we could hear Joy talking with the head Joy  
the PNA(Poke'mon Nurses' Association), complaining about all this work being dropped on her without   
any notice at all.  
  
Vaporeon still layed in one of the recovery room beds. As soon as he saw us come in, he  
turned around to face away from us. I stood at the foot of the bed, and Dan sat on the edge next  
to his Poke'mon.  
  
"Hey, Vaporeon. How Rai things?" Silence. "Not in Rai mood to talk?" Silence. "Are Chu  
alright? Rai really starting to worry Raichu." Silence. No matter what Dan said or asked,   
Vaporeon still faced away from us, not saying a word. It had it's head buried in it's pillow, so  
you couldn't even tell if it was upset, sick, mad or whatever the problem was.  
  
Finally Dan just gave up. He walked out of the room, obviously upset. I went over to  
Vaporeon, even though my mind kept screaming at me to get away from him. I had to fight this insane  
urge to keep away from him, probably because of my type disadvantage. It's never been a problem around   
rock or ground types, though I never figured out why. I asked Dan if he ever got really scared of   
ground or rock-types. He said no more than he has been in the past.  
  
"Vaporeon..." What could I say that would be any different? "Why are Vul acting this way?  
Are Vul scared of Vul trainer? If Pix it, there's nothing to be scared Vulpix. If Vul scared of him  
because he's half-electric type, Vul shouldn't be. Pix a fire-type Hybrid, but Pix here, talking  
to Vul, a water type. Vul can soak me to the bone Pix water, but Vul here. Know why? Because Pix  
know Vul not going to hurt me. Dan won't hurt Vul, either. He's not like that."  
  
Vaporeon still refused to say anything. I thought maybe I could try to get him to ease up  
a little, but he refused to open up at all. He must have been going through some real emotional  
struggles; what or why, I didn't know. I got up and started to leave when Vaporeon said something/  
  
"Vaporeon stand Eon Vaporeon?"  
  
"Stand? Stand Vul?"  
  
Silence again. I left after that, not bothering to really think about what he had said.  
Besides, "stand", isn't a lot to go on. Once again, we were flooded with little kids within a few  
minutes, and the next few hours were spent trying to keep them from causing all sorts of havoc.  
  
I'd worried about people maybe realizing that we actually weren't wearing, "costumes",  
especially the older people who stopped in to drop off Poke'mon or their kids. No one ever said  
anything about it, though, other than that they looked very realistic. Maybe people are more dense  
than I give them credit for. Joy said she's shifted forms right in front of the kids, and they  
tell their parents, who still don't believe it. That makes some sense, I guess. Kids make things   
up all the time. A story about Nurse Joy becoming all pink and singing a song that put everyone  
to sleep probably sounded like a tall tale to the parents.   
  
We worked for about ten hours straight, taking care of the kids and setting up chairs for  
the auction. We still had to take care of little kids, but their were fewer of them, probably  
because some of their parents attended the auction, so they went and bugged them. We weren't as   
busy as before, which was good, because otherwise Dan wouldn't have noticed the auctioneer(the  
guy who stands at the podium, presents the items, and talks so fast no one can understand him).  
He groaned when he saw the large man, then said he'd be right back. I watched go up to the guy,  
who looked angrily at him when he first noticed him. They exchanged a few words, then Dan handed  
the guy a large amount of money. The man smiled, said something, then left.  
  
"Did Vul just bribe him?!" I asked when Dan came back.  
  
He shook his head. "When Rai first came into the city, Rai got a little crazy Chu ate a  
Raichu of food Chu that guy, not Raichu that Rai had to pay for it. Rai ran away when Rai didn't  
have any money, but now Rai just paid him back. He's not Chu bad as a guy as Raichu he was..."  
  
"Vul. How much money do Vulpix have on hand now?"  
  
"Five bucks. The rest is back Rai Joy's house."  
  
Oh well. He probably wasn't going to get much of anything now. The auction soon started,  
and the bidding got underway. We were in a side room, but we could still hear most of the auction.  
I had a good deal of money on me, so I kept my ears open for anything intresting.  
  
There were a lot of different types called, but I was looking for a water-type in paticular.  
I figured I could use it for protection from rock and ground types. Finally, at one point, I heard  
them call out for a Totodile. I asked Dan to watch all the kids for a minute, then when out.  
  
"Let's start the bidding at 50 dollars."  
  
"50!" I called out from the back.  
  
"I hear 50, do I hear 75?"  
  
"75!" another person called out.  
  
"100!" I responded.  
  
"125!"  
  
"150!"  
  
"175!"  
  
"200!" a third person called out.  
  
"250!" I made my final bid for the Totodile. The other people who had been competing with  
me gave up. Seeing no one else was making an attempt for it, the auctioneer sold it to me for $250.  
I went up, paid for my new Poke'mon, got it and it's papers, then went back to the others.  
  
"Let's check Vul out." I released Totodile from its ball. It was barely out when all the  
kids rushed over to see this new Poke'mon. I had to dig between them and haul it up from their   
little hands.  
  
"Totodile!" it said, looking down at all the kids who'd just surrounded it. I set it down  
on a table and looked over it's papers. It was at level 14, knew Scratch, Water Gun, Leer and Rage,   
and was a boy. He had been orphaned as a baby, and was taken to the auction in hopes of giving him a   
good trainer.  
  
"Vul, that's sad. Don't worry Totodile," I assured my new Poke'mon, "Vul in good hands."  
  
Totodile seemed a little confused as to why this person holding him was covered in fur,  
spoke part Vulpix, and yet still looked kind of like a human. While I took care of the kids,  
Pidgeotto flew over to where I'd left Totodile, and they had a long conversation. I didn't have  
any idea what they were talking about, but it was safe to bet it had something to do with me   
being a Hybrid, and the whole story behind it. Needless to say, Totodile was a little scared of   
me at first, judging by the way it was hesitant to approach me, but I guess Pidgeotto convinced  
it that I wasn't a bad person, for toward the end of the auction, Totodile was helping us with  
the kids.  
  
I missed the name of the last Poke'mon called, but there was a long pause after it was  
announced. No one appeared to want this Poke'mon.  
  
"That's Rai right..." I think more out of pity than want, Dan called out, "5 dollars!"  
  
No one responded to this. When we heard the auctionner bang his gavel, we were dumbstruck.  
Dan left for a minute, then came back with a Poke Ball and a bunch of papers in his hands.  
  
"Who said 5 bucks can't Raichu anything..." he mused, looking over the papers.  
  
"What'd Vul get?" He opened the Poke Ball, and the usual jagged light beam hit the floor  
and formed into a Poke'mon.   
  
"Furret!"  
  
"A Furret?" I gotta admit, when I first saw Furret, several emotions rose up at once. One  
was that it was big. Heck, it's longer than I am tall! Another thing I thought about was what moves  
this thing could possibly learn. The last thing that hit me at that moment was that you couldn't  
tell where its tail began and it's body ended. That's kinda unsettling.  
  
"Rai see what the Poke'Dex says..." Dan pulled out his Poke'Dex and pointed it at Furret,  
then hit the scan button.  
  
"Furret, the evolved form of Sentret. The mystery of where its tail begins and its body  
ends has puzzled trainers and scientists alike for years."  
  
That wasn't very helpful. Furret looked around for a minute, not sure what to make of all  
this. The kids looked oddly at Furret, and unlike with all our other Poke'mon, they didn't rush  
over to see it immediatly. Finally, Bulbasaur approached Furret. The two of them spoke for a while  
as the kids were picked up by their parents. Once we'd gotten everyone out, we helped Joy close  
down before going back to her house.   
  
We studied over the information from our new Poke'mon for a while before going to bed.   
Furret seemed to have gotten a little used to all this now, and curled up on the carpet by the  
couch. Everyone fell asleep after a while, except me. I don't know, I just wasn't tired. Furret's  
papers were sitting on the table next to me. I took them and glanced over them, bored.  
  
Name: Furret  
Original Trainer: Unknown  
Original Trainer ID#: Unknown  
Reason for being auctioned: Previous owners family allergic to Pokemon's fur.  
Level: 20  
Sex: Female  
Moves: Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Tackle...Surf?!  
  
"Vul?" Furret knew Surf? That's a HM move, and this Poke'mon knew it? Well, maybe Furret   
had a little promise after all.I yawned and put the papers back, my eyes slowly drifting closed.  
It'd been an intresting week, all right. I doubted anything else could top this.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Three days later...  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
We'd just finished up the last day of babysitting at the Center. The festival was over as  
of today, and tomorrow, Dan and I were going to head out. He'd invited me to come along, and I'd  
been a bit hesitant at first. I agreed a while later, but only after I tried to call home again.  
Still got that stupid disconnect message. I admit; I was scared to go back. For all I knew, I'd be  
walking right into a trap if I went home now. Besides, like Joy pointed out, we could help each  
other through our Hybrid problems.  
  
Here's a little list of current events from the past few days:  
  
-Lt. Surge was still AWOL, according to the newspapers. The little girl I'd learned about   
hadn't been seen anywhere around the gym, but no one has seen Surge anywhere.  
  
-Vaporeon still refuses to listen to anyone. He continues to just lay in bed, ignoring  
everyone.  
  
-I've learned I can become human again for small periods of time. I always thought that  
just Joy could do it, like some kind of special ability. Naturally, when I found out I could do it,  
too, I was a little upset. It took a while, but I understood why they held it back. They didn't  
want to get my hopes up over being normal for just a few minutes, only to get really upset when  
I had to go back to being a Hybrid. They were right; the first time I did it, I was really sad  
when I changed back, so much so I almost cried.  
  
-Both Dan and I have been practicing our powers. I've almost got down the ability to spit  
Embers whenever I want; once in a while, it dies in my throat. Dan's finally learned how to form  
bolts that go away from his body in his Hybrid form, but they're pretty weak. It's about twice as   
strong as the shock you get from static electricity like when you touch someone, or you flick on a   
light switch.  
  
-Our Poke'mon(minus Vaporeon) seem to have totally or almost totally accepted us for what we  
are. Even Furret and Totodile seem to be getting used to it. Dan said he wished Vaporeon was this  
understanding.  
  
That seems to be pretty much it. Anyway, back to the last day of our stay in Vermilion...  
  
It was about three in the morning. Everyone was sleeping rather peacefully. Well, everyone  
except one person.  
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!   
  
"VUL!"   
  
"RAI!"  
  
"Bulba!"  
  
"Nido!  
  
"Fur!"  
  
"Rai!"  
  
"Pidge!"  
  
"Toto!"  
  
Everyone awoke with a start, scared by the sudden noise. Joy abruptly looked out at us  
from her room.  
  
"Is Chansey O.K.?" she asked.  
  
"We're fine, but Vulpix else isn't." I informed her, throwing off the blankets that covered  
me.   
  
"Rai sounds like Rai coming from the Center!" Dan scrambled out of his sleeping bag, dashing  
off to where Joy kept the key to the Center. Joy was quickly getting dressed while the rest of us  
ran over to see what was happening. Once we'd unlocked the door, we quickly searched the Center.  
Bulbasaur found the screamer first.  
  
"Bulbasaur!" We followed the sound of Bulbasaur's voice into the recovery room. Looking  
back, I almost wish we'd never went in there.  
  
"Oh my..." I gasped.  
  
"Rai don't believe it..." Dan seemed to be in an equal state of shock.   
  
Vaporeon was the one who was doing the screaming...or at least, I THOUGHT it was Vaporeon.  
See, Vaporeon was under the covers of his bed, so all I could see was his head. Plus, there were  
two problems. One; Vaporeon head was getting bigger with each passing second. Second; the outline  
of his body under the covers was certainly NOT that of a Vaporeon. It looked...not human...but  
not Poke'mon, either.  
  
Vaporeon continued to scream, and the rest of us were too shocked to do anything except  
watch this horrible event unfold. The mass under the sheets continued to reshape and mutate as  
Vaporeon's head grew. Then the change was over quickly as it started. Vaporeon now seemed to be about  
as big as Dan, maybe a hair shorter, with a human sized Vaporeon head, and an oddly changed body.  
The thing that had once been a Poke'mon looked over at us, seemed to get scared, and try to escape.  
As soon as he rose, though, Vaporeon collpased onto the bed, worn out.  
  
Dan was clearly trembling at this. He looked as though he was about to be sick. Myself?  
I just plain passed out.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Sara? Sara!"  
  
"Pix..."   
  
Joy was kneeling down next to me by the time I came to. I was still in the recovery room,  
and Vaporeon was laying on the bed still, so I must've been out only a few minutes. Dan was   
standing by the side of the bed, looking over at us.  
  
"Rai she O.K.?"  
  
"She'll be fine." I slowly got to my feet, then went over to see the newly changed Poke'mon.  
Now the urge to stay away from Vaporeon was almost undeniable. Not only could he hurt me with water,  
but now he might be able to physically overpower me. It took everything I had in me to ignore my  
frantic instincts.  
  
No one said anything for a while. What could be said at all? What everyone believed to be  
a disobdient Poke'mon was actually a Hybrid of sorts. How do you react to that? Oddly, Nidoran was  
the one to break the ice.  
  
"Nido?" He walked over to Vaporeon's tail, which was sticking out from under the sheets.  
It was pretty much like a regular Vaporeon's tail, except it was about two meters long, and a lot  
bigger in size altogether. He ran a paw up around near the tip of Vaporeon's tail. Vaporeon seemed  
none too pleased with this, and scooted over a little to pull it away. Suddenly, Nidoran shouted,  
"Nidoran Nido, Ran Nido gym! Nido, Nidoran tail!"  
  
"It is?" Joy said.  
  
"What'd Rai say?"  
  
"He said this was the thing he found back at the gym that night. It was Vaporeon's tail!"  
  
"Vaporeon? Vaporeon Eon Vapor..."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"He said he thought he felt something that night, but he wasn't sure what."  
  
"Pix. Joy, can Vul translate for us?" Joy nodded at that. Good, that would make things a  
lot simpler.  
  
"Vaporeon, Vapor Eon me? Vaporeon Vaporeon." *Why are you helping me? I made you these  
abominations.*  
  
"Chu?" Dan sounded confused. "How'd Chu do this to Rai?"  
  
"Vaporeon. That Vaporeon Eon Vaporeon Vap Vaporeon, Vaporeon? Vaporeon, Vapor Eon Eon?"   
*I know I did. That girl did this to you to get to me, didn't she? She made you monsters just  
like me, didn't she?*  
  
"The girl?" I'd heard about that story from the others. They said she was psyhic, and   
threatened to turn everyone in the gym into a Hybrid. Thankfully, she didn't have the chance, but  
still, how could she?  
  
"Bulbasaur, Saur Bulb?" Bulbasaur said from his spot on the floor. *Why is she after you?*  
  
"Vaporeon...Vaporeon Vapor Eon Eon." *I saw something...something that could destroy her.*  
  
"Raichu?" Railina called out. *What?"  
  
"Vaporeon. Vaporeon know, Vapor Eon." *I won't say. The less you know, the better.*  
  
"Vaporeon, tell Rai. We can help Chu!" Vaporeon said nothing, just looked down at the bed.  
"Tell Rai!"  
  
"Vaporeon, Vaporeon Vapor? Put Eon Vaporeon? Vaporeon you Vaporeon. Vaporeon Vapor Eon Eon,  
Vaporeon ball. Eon, Vaporeon Vaporeon."  
  
Joy didn't translate for us at first. She seemed kinda shocked at what Vaporeon had just  
said. It took a little convincing from both of us before she spoke again.  
  
"He said, 'What are you going to do if I don't? Put me back in my ball? I'm just like you   
now. I know you can't stand being in a ball. You'd be a hypocrite to put me in one.'. That's what   
he said."  
  
That hit home for all of us. Vaporeon may have been stubborn, but he was smart. We'd kept  
our Poke'mon out of their balls for the past few days, but what could we do when we were traveling?  
There'd be no way to keep track of all of them if we let them loose, but the only alternative was  
to put them in balls. What right did we have to do that, especially if we're half Poke'mon ourselves?  
Or any person at all for that matter? Sure, our Poke'mon didn't seem to mind a whole lot, but still,  
I couldn't help but feel guilty for that. Dan too, looked distirubed by this realization.  
  
"Vaporeon, where you the one who made all those weird holes we found all over the place?"  
Joy asked.  
  
"Vaporeon. Vaporeon Center, Vaporeon, Vaporeon; Eon made Vaporeon." he said, nodding.  
*Yes I did. The one in the Center, the one in the gym, the one in the vent; I made them all.*  
  
There was a long pause after this. We'd solved a few mysteries, only to have even more  
dumped in our lap. I looked down at our Poke'mon, then over to Vaporeon. It was all so confusing...  
  
"Come on, Vaporeon. Get Rai."  
  
"Vap?"  
  
"Chu don't want to tell Rai whats going on? Fine. Chu coming with Rai."  
  
"Vapor..." he started to say, but Dan cut him off.  
  
"The way Rai see it, Chu have two options. One; come with Rai, let Rai earn Chu trust, and  
tell Rai later what's going on, or two; wait around, feel bad for Raichu, and wait for that girl  
to come after Chu again. So, what'd do Chu say to that?"  
  
Vaporeon stopped to think that one over. Those were some good points. Vaporeon eventually  
got up, slowly at first, and hopped down, were I got my first real good look at him.  
  
The only clothing he had on him were a pair of jean shorts (Dan later explained that he'd  
given them to Vaporeon while Joy tried to revive me earlier). Vaporeon was still mostly shaped  
like a normal Vaporeon. Now, though, his front legs were jointed like a humans arm, with a long  
fin-like structure running down it, stopping at his wrist. His paws were human in shape, but his   
fingers each had its own little fin, and he only had four fingers on each paw, lacking thumbs.  
His back paws looked like normal Vaporeon feet, and while his legs didn't appear to have any fin  
structure, his knees were in reverse direction of a humans knees(While human knnes face forward,  
Vaporeons face backwards). His tail was just high enough so he could put on the shorts and cover  
up anything that one might find offensive without having to tear or rip anything. He stood on all  
fours, and walked around like that the whole time.  
  
We all went back to Joy's house and began to pack up. Joy had went out and bought everything  
we'd need to travel over the week, like a sleeping bag, clothes and a backpack for me, as well as  
food and supplies. Of course we ate, but we had to put Vaporeon's food down on the floor for him,  
since he couldn't stand up straight. Actually, he didn't seem to be able to do any human thing we  
could, like speak mostly English, walk on two legs, or anything like that. Vaporeon explained(and  
Joy translated) that Vaporeon had never been human, so he'd never learned how to do any of that  
stuff.  
  
We left about four, wanting to get out of the city before everyone else woke. Joy wished  
us good luck, and made us promise to stay in contact with her. We did put all our other Poke'mon  
back in their balls, but we also made some guidelines for doing so. We could only put them in when  
they wanted to go in, or if there was an emergency where leaving them out would be a bad idea.  
Even still, I can't help but feel guilty every now and then.  
  
Oh, one last thing. I asked Vaporeon to repeat what he'd said to me that day of the auction  
for Joy. He did, and Joy translated one last time.  
  
"How do you stand being like that?"  
  
I had to think about that. How did I stand it? I've gotten to a point where I'm not exactly  
pleased to be a Hybrid, but I've realized it's not all bad either. Still, how exactly can a person  
who was once human stand belching fire, having the worlds worst case of hydrophobia, and still get  
through the day?  
  
"Vaporeon," I said as we'd reached the route that led to Lavander Town, "do Vul still want  
to know how Pix stand it?"  
  
"Vapor." he said with a nod. I gave him my honest answer.  
  
"One day Vul time. One day Vul time..."  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Alright, that might have been a touch on the lame side with the ending, I admit. As always, please  
R&R, and send me your e-mails with ideas, thoughts on the story; anything related to it at all.  
I hope to get have 14 out my Saturday. Thanks once again to all my readers! You're the ones who   
drive me to keep on writing, even when it all seems pointless to everyone around me. Thank you!  
  
Once again, I'm ending with a little scene from the 8-bit theater at nuklearpower.com.   
  
Black Mage: Are you saying that black magic and anyone who uses it is inheritly evil?  
  
White Mage: Tell me one good thing black magic can do.  
  
Black Mage: Hah! That's easy! Just give me a scenario.  
  
White Mage: O.K... An orphange is on fire. What do you...  
  
Black Mage: Use Fire 3 to torch the building, then use Bolt 2 set at a wide dispersal to pick off  
any survivors.  
  
White Mage: You are truly an evil person.  
  
Black Mage:(aside) Hah! Stupid kids wouldn't see it coming, either! 


	14. A Glimpse Of the Future?

I'm trying to work fast here in order to get this out by Saturday, but life once again has kicked  
me while I'm down. Between limited computer use and worrying about finals in a week, I've barely  
been able to write anything. Sorry for any delay I'm gonna cause, but I'm trying my best. After  
next Monday, I'm offically done with school for the summer, and from there on it's smooth sailing!  
I'm also sorry, for once again, I'm ending in a cliffhanger. I know I'm gonna tick a lot of people  
off, but I need to do it for Chp 15. Anyway, enough time talking. Lets get it on!  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chp. 14- A Glimpse Into the Future?  
  
  
"Vaporeon! Are Chu almost done?"  
  
"Vapor!"  
  
We'd been out a few days from Vermilion, heading toward Lavander Town. I'd been spending  
most of the time in debate with myself over what to do about our Poke'mon and putting them in  
balls. Part of me knew I couldn't possibly have all my Poke'mon out of their balls 24/7, but I   
still couldn't help but feel guilty for putting them in there at all. I've tried to ask our   
Poke'mon if it's always so dark and lonely, but I never get enough of what they say to make a  
decent guess. To be fair, I always leave out one of my Poke'mon out at all times, as does Sara.  
It's far from perfect, but there's not a lot else I can really do now. When we stop to rest, we   
let them go out and roam around for a while. As long as they stay in earshot, we always know where  
they are.  
  
Anyway, at this point on our trip, we stopped for the night by a stream. There was a   
seculued spot where we went one at a time to get cleaned up. I went first, taking the shortest  
amount of time. Sara went next, taking her time with washing due to her natural weakness to water.  
Vaporeon took forever, though I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. He's a water type, after all,  
and Sara and I could hear him splashing around as we set up everything for dinner.  
  
"So, Sara," I pulled out a box of pasta and a can of soup from my bag, "which do Chu think  
Vaporeon will make less Rai mess with?"  
  
"Hard to say...Vul guess the pasta." I put away the soup and poured some water into a pot  
so we could get it to boil. Sara started the fire(she saves me a lot money on matches. One quick  
Ember into a pile of sticks, and boom, instant campfire!) and went to go look for more firewood  
while I got everything ready for dinner.  
  
Vaporeon just came back wearing a pair of sweatpants I'd lent him by the time dinner was  
ready. I handed him a bowl of pasta, turned around to get some sauce, and by the time I was ready  
to pour it on, Vaporeon was already halfway done with his pasta. I almost yelled at him to wait  
next time, but just sighed and gave him the sauce anyway. Hard to believe it, but Vaporeon can be  
worse than me when it comes to eating. We rotate between giving him Poke'mon food and real food,  
but ethier way, he has it all over the place by the time he's done. Even our Poke'mon look kind  
of disturbed when they watch him eat.   
  
I gave Vaporeon a towel to clean himself up while I thought about my so far unsuccessful   
attempts to teach him how to act human. He already had the basic idea of clothing and how to put  
it on, which was good, but everything else just didn't seem to work. Walking was going nowhere;  
I have to help him to his hind legs, and even then, he needs to lean against something just to   
stand up, much less move. Other things were just totally foriegn concepts to him, like eating  
with utensils, not eating foods that fall on the ground, things like that.  
  
Sara, in the meantime, has taken up the responsibility of teaching Vaporeon and the   
other Poke'mon how to read. She's already taught two Poke'mon how to read, she reasoned, so why  
not teach them all? Well, I've watched her try, and she seems to be doing a good job so far.  
However, she's taken on the addtional task of trying to teach Vaporeon how to write, and that  
coming along very slowly. After about two hours of practice today, she's managed to teach Vaporeon  
which end of the pencil you're supposed to write with. He just hasn't developed the muscle controls  
and knowledge to write yet.  
  
After dinner, Vaporeon went to the tent early, but Sara and I stayed up for a while to  
watch the fire. I was poking at the embers with a stick when Sara spoke up.  
  
"Hey Dan, Vul ever think Vulpix the future?"  
  
"Rai future? Sure, all Rai time. Rai think about what kind of team Rai want to train, or  
what Chu do"  
  
"Pix, not that. Do Vul ever think about Pix humans would react to us? Vul, at least ones  
that don't already know Vulpix us. What do Vul think their reaction Vulpix us?"  
  
"Rai don't know..." What would the normal persons reaction to us be? Once they got over   
the inital shock and fear, then what? I mean, if all the Hybrids in the world held a press   
conference to say that we don't mean humans any harm, but just wanted to be treated equal, I doubt  
we'd immeadiatly be met with open arms. Still, humans have been known throughout history as great  
adapters to most anything. Then again, they also burned people at the stake for practicing,   
"witchcraft". I'd bet not one of the people involved in those burnings were witches or warlocks.  
  
I tried not to think about it too much at the time. I don't like to go to bed with a lot  
on my mind, or else it takes me forever to fall asleep. We both retired to the tent soon after,  
each one of us taking a seperate spot in the tent with our Poke'mon laid out in various places.  
Even still, sleep didn't come quickly. Vaporeon was shivering like mad over on his side of the  
tent, and it creeped me out big time.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!  
  
"YEOW!" I fumbled around on my dresser for the OFF button on my alarm clock. Finally finding  
it, I punched it and shut off the alarm. Man, not another day of school...  
  
School? I picked my head up off the pillow and looked around, still half asleep. What   
the...and why am I home? This was my room, alright; N64 laying on the ground, closet in the corner,  
three windows...but why am I here?  
  
I slowly got out of bed, stepping over Furret, who'd parked herself right near the edge of  
it. Passing a full length body mirror, I realized I'd grown. I was about an inch or two taller,  
and it looked like I put on a little weight, giving me a more solid build than before. I was  
still a Hybrid, mind you, but I looked, and felt, older.  
  
"Weird..." I quickly changed into some jeans and a shirt, tossing the clothes I just had   
on in a corner of the closet. As I put on the jeans, I noticed something. There was a hole  
already in the back of them, which that in itself wouldn't have been so odd, except when I pulled   
out my tail, it closed up so the hole wasn't visible. This was getting really weird...  
  
"Mom? Dad?" I went out and searched over the entire house for them, not bothering to change  
forms. After all, if I was home, surely they'd be used to seeing me as a Hybrid, right? They were  
nowhere in the house, though. Everything looked exactly the same, but they weren't around. I even  
checked their bedroom, but they weren't there. Someone else was, though...  
  
"Sara? What are you doing in my parents bedroom?!"  
  
"Huh?" She slowly rose and blinked sleeply at me. "Dan? What are you doing here?"  
  
"This is my house!" I pointed out, noticing her Poke'mon were all about the room, resting  
in various places.  
  
"Your house? But this is my dream..."  
  
"Your dream? It's mine!"  
  
"What? That can't be...hey, were not talking like we normally do!"  
  
"What do...oh." I nodded. We weren't saying, "Raichu", "Vulpix", or parts of it anymore.  
Sad to say, that's not normal for us.  
  
"Look, why don't you get dressed and wake up your Poke'mon? We'll meet in the living room  
and figure this all out?" I suggested.  
  
Sara nodded. I closed the door and went back to my room to wake my own Poke'mon. As soon  
as they were up, though, I realized something else had changed.  
  
"Hey, why are we getting up so early?" Nidoran moaned as he got to his feet.  
  
"Sorry, Nidoran, but we...uh-oh..."  
  
"Yeah, what's going on?" Bulbasaur asked.  
  
"Sara!" I called out. "Are you getting this too?"  
  
"They're speaking English to you too?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"English? You're speaking my language!" Nidoran said.  
  
"No, they're speaking mine!" Bulbasaur argued.  
  
"Why is everyone speaking my language?!" Furret cried out, confused.  
  
"Sara, when do you speak Raichu?" a new voice called out.  
  
"Could've told me you knew Totodile..." said another.  
  
"Why is everyone speaking Pidgeotto?" called out a third voice.  
  
Well, this was just plain confusing. I instructed my Poke'mon to follow me downstairs.  
Sara and the others were already down there by the time we arrived. The Poke'mon took up all the  
couches and chairs, so Sara and I were forced to stand.  
  
"Alright, what's going on?" Pidgeotto asked from her perch on a rocking chair.  
  
"Well, as best I can tell," Sara said, "we're all having the same dream. We all hear our  
own language when someone speaks, even if they only know one language. Last, no one has any clue  
why this is happening. Is that everything?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so." I agreed.  
  
"Well, this doesn't make any sense." Furret pointed out. She was laid out across the top  
of the couch.  
  
"Thanks for that insight, Furret." Nidoran muttered. He looked around for a second before  
saying, "Someone's missing."  
  
"Who? Who's mi...Vaporeon!" I realized. "Where is he?"  
  
"I dunno." Bulbasaur said, looking around. "Did you check the whole house?"  
  
"Yeah. I guess I'll look again."   
  
I started off through the neighboring kitchen to look again. As I passed by the refrigorator,  
I happened to glance at the calander on it. When I saw the date, I froze.  
  
"Uh...Sara? What's todays date?" I called out.  
  
"It's 6/10/01. How could you forget?"  
  
"I didn't. This calander did."  
  
"What?" She came into the kitchen to see what I was talking about. As she walked in, I   
couldn't help but noticed that she too, looked a little older. She was maybe about an inch taller,  
but I noticed other...things...had changed as well(I'll leave that to your imagination).  
  
"Look at the date." I said, pointing to the current day.  
  
"It says it's 6/10/..." she paused for a moment before going on,"28?"  
  
"It's 27 years into the future!"  
  
"But...that doesn't make any sense!" Sara held her head and moaned. "I don't know what's  
going on here..."  
  
"I do."  
  
I glanced back into the living room to see the owner of this new voice. I could feel the  
fur on the back of my neck stand up when I saw it.  
  
"You..." It was that trenchcoat creature that'd telported Sara and everyone else away from  
me after the incident in Sara's town. He still looked exactly the same. Our Poke'mon were taken  
aback by the sudden arrival of this creature. Pidgeotto almost lost her grip on the chair, and  
Furret fell off the couch.  
  
"What are you doing here?!" I demanded.  
  
"You said you didn't know what a future with humans would be like. I'm here to show you."  
  
"Show us? How?" Sara started toward him(her? it?), but I grabbed her arm and held her back.  
  
"Be careful. This is the thing that teleported you guys all over Vermilion."  
  
"Did you not find what I promised, and more?" he pointed out.  
  
"Where's Vaporeon?" Railina asked, ignoring the question.  
  
"Getting ready for school, as should you."  
  
"School? What are you..."  
  
"Gotem! Sit down before I write you up!"  
  
Sara and I were now standing in a moving school bus. We were both human, so we didn't look  
out of place with all the other humans. The person yelling was the bus driver.  
  
"What was that all about?" Sara thought aloud.  
  
"Maxamillion! Same to you! Sit!"  
  
"Yeah, sure." I gently pushed Sara into a nearby empty seat before sitting myself. The seat  
was big enough to hold two people, so we weren't on top of each other.  
  
"What's going on here?" Sara whispered fericely to me.  
  
"I don't know, but lets just see what this guy wants so we can get out of here. He can   
probably hold us here as long as he wants until we do."  
  
We sat pretty much in silence for the rest of the trip. For the first time ever, I got  
to see Sara as a human. She's a nice looking girl, and minus the fur, muzzle, weird feet and Vulpix  
ears poking through her hair, looks exactly the same. Her eyes are brown as opposed to grey, and  
she's a Caucasin like me. She's really a nice looking girl.  
  
The bus soon pulled up to Pallet High, and we were instructed to get off. The crowd pushed  
us along toward the school, but even if they didn't, the giant line of police with riot gear   
would've of. Seeing that each of them had a mini arsenal on them, I didn't question what they were  
doing. Sara, however, pointed out what they were probably doing. She pointed to a large line of  
students heading down into what looked like a cellar. These, however, were no ordinary students.  
  
Hybrids, hundreds of them, were all being forced down through the doors. They came in all   
shapes and sizes, and the types seemed to be infinite. I barely saw Vaporeon through the crowds   
and the line of police. As soon as I tried to call to him, one of the officers moved in front of   
me, blocking my view.  
  
"Come on, kid. Tease the freaks on your own time." he said gruffly.  
  
"I'm not teasing anyone. I'm trying to call to my friend!" I replied.  
  
"Yeah, right." He let out a little laugh. "Come on. Their lives are bad enough as it is.  
Leave them alone."  
  
"Dan, we gotta go!" Sara grabbed my arm and dragged me away into the school building, and  
refused to let go until we were inside.  
  
"What was that all about?!" I asked no one in paticular.  
  
"I don't know...let's get somewhere so we can figure this out." Sara suggested.  
  
I nodded. Yeah, that was exactly what we needed to...  
  
"Dan G and Sara M, report to the main office!"  
  
Confused, we found a map of the school on the wall and followed it into the main office.  
We were given schedules by the secretary, then were escorted by monitors to our first class.  
Conviently, Sara and I had the exact same schedule.  
  
"Hybrid Awareness?" I asked of the teacher, a young looking guy, when he came in. "What  
exactly is this class about?"  
  
"You've never taken this class before?" I shook my head. "You're one lucky...take a seat  
and you'll find out."  
  
"Probably some sort of sensitivity class." Sara suggested.  
  
Sensitivity? More like bashing! The entire class was devoted to telling us how to avoid  
contact with Hybrids, and what to do should we ever come in contact with one. The book that had  
been handed out explained that these steps were nessacary, because, "All Hybrids take any sort  
of apporach, friendly or hostile, as a threat, and therefore become violently enraged and attack  
with any power available to them."  
  
Needless to say, Sara and I were having a real problem holding in our tempers. By the time  
the class was over, I was about ready to put my fist through a wall, and Sara looked like she was  
really starting to dislike the guy behind all this.  
  
"Who the heck does he think he is, telling us what the future is going to be like?" she  
whispered to me as we were once again escorted to our next class. "I want to put my foot through  
this guy's..."  
  
"Hang on." I warned. "It's probably gonna get worse."  
  
The next class was, "Hybrid History". Maybe we could avoid some negativity here. Sure, you  
can determine history however you want, but you still have to present it unbiasedly, right?  
  
The old man who was the teacher for this class instructed us to grab books on our way in.  
Sara grabbed hers, then looked at the title and moaned.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Take a look at the title and tell me it's being fair."  
  
Confused, I took a book and looked at the title. I almost ripped off the cover right then  
and there.  
  
"Hybrids:Nature's Biggest Mistake."  
  
After we got seats, I tuned out the teacher and looked over the book. It was a history  
book alright, and as far as I could tell, it was the only honest source of information we had  
acsess to.  
  
"Back", in early 2006(I'd be 18 then), Hybrids first introduced themselves to the human  
race as a whole. Many people weren't pleased with the idea of half human, half Poke'mon creatures,  
but when they realized that a lot of world leaders were Hybrids themselves, they had to accept  
them. Some basic laws were quickly drawn up for Hybrids; same rights as humans, no capturing of  
Hybrids allowed, equal rights in general.  
  
After all the Hybrid leaders had been ethier assinated or run out of office, things took  
a turn for the worse, or as the book put it, things were "corrected". Hybrids with decent jobs   
were forced out, Hybrid homes were attacked and often destroyed, and humans shunned Hybrids   
altogether. Most Hybrids are stuck in manual labor jobs with minimal pay, and Hybrid students are  
seperated from human ones in school as means of protection for both of them.  
  
"I don't understand," Sara said after she'd looked through most of the book. "If life is  
so horrible for Hybrids, why don't they just stay in their human forms, or their Poke'mon form,   
for that matter? Surely ethier of those has got to better than be treated like second class  
citizens."  
  
"Well, maybe one of our new students can answer that." The teacher looked up at us. "Can  
one of you two explain for us?"  
  
"I...didn't hear the question." I blurted out.  
  
"Control Bands. What are their purpose?"  
  
"Control Bands, right..." Sara flipped to the glossary and read the lengthy definition.  
  
"Control Bands: A baraclet-like device used to keep Hybrids in their Hybrid form. A series  
of fluids are injected through the many needles inside of the band, which blocks out the signals  
that let Hybrids shapeshift. Any attempt to remove the baraclet is ethier met with an extreme  
tightening of the band, or in the case of Hybrids with hard skin or gaseous forms(ghosts), a   
supersonic signal is released, causing great pain to the Hybrid. While the bands have been known  
to go as far as to ampute limbs, cause permenant damage from the signals, or strangulation where  
a baraclet has to be put around the neck, they have...BEEN DEEMED EXCEPTABLE AS SAFE WAYS OF   
PROTECTING HUMANS FROM EVER BEING SURPRISED BY A RAGING HYBRID IN DISGUSE?!"  
  
"Thank you, but there was no need to yell at the end there." the man said.  
  
"NO NEED TO YELL?! WHY I OUGHTA...mmph!" She probably would've went on like this had I  
not quickly clamped my hand over her mouth. Judging by the way everyone else was staring at her  
like she was insane, things would've gotten ugly had I let her go on like that.  
  
"Sorry about that...she's kinda jumpy till she's had her fifth or sixth cup of coffee. Can  
I take her outside to let her calm down?"  
  
The old man looked like he was about to have a heart attack, but numbly nodded. I half  
walked, half dragged Sara out of there. Sara broke away just as I closed the door to the room.  
  
"Who does this guy think he is? Why'd you take me out of there?!"  
  
"Hey, don't get upset with me. I'm mad too, but if I'd let you go on like that, goodness  
only knows what would've happened. Let's just get through this now, and you can tear his throat out  
later."  
  
Sara looked like she was about to explode, but the bell rang, and the monitors were once  
again there to escort us. I understood Sara's anger; I was about ready to punch someone myself.  
We were forced to listen to how horrible and evil Hybrids are, when we in fact are Hybrids ourselves.  
You might as well gotten together realitives and descendants of all people whose family members  
were slaves at one point in time, and told them how much more profitable it was to force people  
to do work and treat them like dirt than it was to pay them and treat them like normal people. It's  
just plain wrong!  
  
"So, what's the next class?"  
  
"Says here...Debate."  
  
"Debate? That's it?" I nodded. "What exactly do we do here?"  
  
"I guess we'll find out."  
  
The teacher, a young woman this time, quickly gave us our instructions as soon as we got  
in. We were going to have a debate about equal rights for Hybrids, and why it was right or wrong  
to treat them the way they were being treated. When asked who was going to be against Hybrid  
equality, it seemed like everyone raised their hands except for Sara and me. When asked who was  
going to be for it, I thought Sara and I were the only ones. Not so, as the teacher read out our  
names as she wrote them down.  
  
"Gotem...Maxamillion...Jones."  
  
Looking in the back, I saw a boy with his hand raised along with ours. Maybe there was a  
little hope for us after all. We were instructed to sit at one table, while the rest of the class  
sat at the other tables. Before we started, I asked the boy who was with us his first name.  
  
"Paul." he said. Hey, that was my middle name! I didn't have time to say much more, as  
the debate was quickly started. We each had to give a one minute speech on why Hybrids did or  
didn't deserve equal rights.  
  
The opposers went first, and this was the basic summary of all their points: Hybrids were  
unstable, backstabbing and worst of all, cunning. They deserved what they got.   
  
The three of us went next, and we pretty much had the same point: Had they ever been   
Hybrids? What if they suddenly became a Hybrid right now? How would they like being treated like  
that? Would all their friends and family leave them in the gutter and treat them like trash?  
  
Next came rebutals. The opposers went first again, but only one of them had anything that  
was at all worthwhile. The boy that spoke had jet black spiky hair and green eyes that stared right  
through you. It creeped me out big time.  
  
"Going back to my original point," he stated, "Hybrids get what they deserve. If they get  
attacked by a Hybrid, and it somehow turns them into a Hybrid, then they're obviously not strong  
enough to be human. If they get kidnapped and someone turns them into a Hybrid by experiments, then  
obviously they were too weak to defend themselves. If they volunteer to become Hybrids, well, then  
they get it for being too stupid to be human."   
  
The clock counted him out there. It was a good thing it did, or I would've clocked him  
myself. Paul went up for us and rebutalled the rebutal.  
  
"Too weak? Too stupid? Not strong enough? What is that, really? I think that you're too  
stupid to realize that people don't ask to be Hybrids. I think you're too weak for hiding behind  
all the stereotypes of something you don't even fully understand. I think you not strong enough  
to give any real reasons for why Hybrids have to be kept away from humans. Does that mean that  
you deserve to be a Hybrid? Is it really that bad that Hybrids has to be used as a curse word?"  
  
The clock and the bell rang him out there. We slowly packed up and went out to the lunch  
rooms, Paul's words still ringing in my ears. For once we weren't escorted, and Sara took   
advantage of the situation.   
  
"Dan, lets head downstairs to where the Hybrids are. I want to see what they're being  
taught, and we can get to Vaporeon."  
  
"Alright." We snuck off out of the lunch rooms and down toward the cellar. Right outside  
the door, we shifted forms, which only took us a second, and didn't have the usual energy drain.  
That was a surprise, especially since we'd been human for hours now. Normally, we'd have been dead  
tired.  
  
Pushing open the unlocked, ungaurded door, we slowly made our way down the slimy steps,  
taking our now useless shoes and socks with us. There were only a few doors down here. We appeared   
to be the only ones not already in a room.  
  
"I wondered when you two would make it down here."  
  
"YAH!" Sara yelped.  
  
"AH!" I agreed. I guess we weren't the only ones down here. We turned around to see the   
owner of this new voice. When we first got a good look at him, I had mixed reactions. It was a  
Hybrid, but the odd thing was that he wasn't a Hybrid of one Poke'mon, but of TWO Poke'mon.  
  
The boy looked to be about our age, wearing the same clothes Paul had just been wearing.  
He had a human shaped body, arms and legs, like Sara and I. However, it was the rest of his body  
that weirded us out. He had SIX Raichu tails. Yes, not one, but SIX. His feet were shaped like  
Sara's, but they were covered in brown fur like my feet. His hands were covered in red fur like  
Sara's, and he had a muzzle and nose like Sara. The fur of his face, though, was like mine; mostly  
dark tan, with yellow cheeks, plus he had Raichu ears. He had black hair like Sara's in my style  
and brown eyes. If I had to guess, I'd say he was about 1/4 Raichu, 1/4 Vulpix and 1/2 human.  
  
"Sorry I scared you guys like that." he apoligized. "I figured you head down hear after  
that little debate."  
  
"Debate? I didn't..." Sara put it together faster than I did. "Paul?"  
  
He nodded. "When I saw you two willing to defend Hybrids, I knew there had to be more to  
it than simply pity."  
  
"Geez, I never guessed..." I said, still trying to get over the intial shock.  
  
"Guessed what? I was a Hybrid, or I was a Hybrid of two Poke'mon and a human?"  
  
"Both, to be honest."  
  
"Yeah, well I thought it was odd that you have the same name as my parents, but hey, were  
all full of surprises. You must've named yourself that after your parents ditched you..."  
  
"Uh, actually we..." Sara started to say, but Paul cut her off.  
  
"I'm really surprised no one suspected you already with those last names. Oh well." He  
shrugged. "We'd better get ready for the next class."  
  
"I..." I started to say, but there was what sounded like an egg timer going off, and the  
doors opened. Paul quickly fell in with the masses of Hybrids going out of the rooms, but Sara  
and I held back. I think it slowly dawned on both of us what was happening.  
  
"Dan, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
  
"I think so, though I'm not sure if I believe it..." I said. There was no way...  
  
"I think Paul is...our son."  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Sorry about the cliffhanger. I promise, I'll try not to make Chp. 15 a cliffhanger, but it's also  
probably going to be a really long chapter if I don't, since I've got to write a lot for later. Hate  
to say it, but expect Chapter 15 to be a cliffhanger as well. Ethier way, you'll want to bring a  
box of tissues with you, since I'm aiming to draw some tears in it. Hopefully, you'll cry out of  
sadness of what happens, and not out of sadness of how badly it's written. Until next time!  
  
A man brings his dog into a vet, not sure why it isn't moving. The vet looks the dog over,  
then tells the owner that the dog is dead.  
  
"What?" the man cries. "All you did was look at it! I want a second opinion!"  
  
The vet leaves, then comes back with a Labador. The Lab looks over the dead dog, sniffs  
it a couple of times, then barks(meaning dead and gone). The vet leaves again, then comes back  
with a cat. The cat looks, sniffs, then meows(simply meaning dead). The vet then hands the  
man his bill.  
  
"$600?!" the man yells, shaking the bill in the vets face. "All you told me was that my  
dog was dead!"  
  
"And if you listened to me, it would've been $50 dollars," the vet replied, "but for the  
Lab work and the cat scan..." 


	15. Losses and Realizations

Time for Chp. 15! I apoligize in advance for the cliffhanger, but it's nessacary for Chp. 16, and  
I promise, I will not end 16 in a cliffhanger. The sad part of the story I promised won't be coming  
till later, so keep those tissues on hand. I guess I'd better stop babbling and start writing.  
Here's Chp. 15! Please R&R!  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chp. 15-Losses and Realizations  
  
  
"I...don't believe it..." Our son?! Me and Sara had a son?! I looked at Sara, who seemed  
to be really thinking about something. Sure, I thought she was a nice looking girl, even with the  
muzzle and everything else, but...first love? Then comes marriage? Then comes...well, you know  
how that old song goes.  
  
"Guys!" Paul was waving to us from one of the classrooms. "Hurry up!"  
  
"We're coming..." Sara said, slowly going towards Paul. I followed her into the room,  
trying to figure out exactly what was going on.  
  
The room itself was pretty big, and also pretty dark. The floor was made of entirly cold  
concrete, and their were no chairs or desks, so everyone sat on the floor. The teacher didn't  
even have a desk. All she had was a pile of notebooks in one corner and a chalkboard on the wall.  
Vaporeon stood off by himself in one corner of the room, so Sara and I waded our way over to him,   
watching for tentacles, tails and whatever else we might step on.  
  
"Dan! Sara!" He seemed happy to see us, but also sounded really scared. "What's going on  
around here? Everyone keeps speaking Vaporeon, and when I try to say that this wrong, everyone  
looks at me funny."  
  
"We know, Vaporeon, we know." I assured him, taking a seat on the floor. "Someone is doing  
this to us to show us something. He made this dream world."  
  
"This is a dream?" I nodded. Vaporeon seemed unbelieving. "But...this can't be a dream."  
  
"Why not?" Sara asked.  
  
"When everyone was trying to class before, I got poked by him." He looked over at a   
Sandslash Hybrid. The boy seemed to be mostly human, except for the tanish skin, giant claw hands,  
and the spines poking through the back of his shirt, but beyond that, I couldn't get a good look.  
"He hurt me."  
  
"What?" This couldn't be happening...unless...I grabbed a small piece of my fur from my  
neck and pulled. It came out, leaving a sharp stinging sensation. "Dream Eater again..."  
  
"Alright class, everyone sit as best as you can." The teacher was an old woman who looked  
like she could be my grandmothers grandmother. She was human, and at first I was confused as to  
why she would be teaching this instead of another Hybrid. I found out later from Paul that Hybrids  
weren't allowed to teach. They probably put her down here just to fill up the class spot. "As  
you know, today is the big exam."  
  
"Big exam?" Oh man, I wasn't ready for a test! With my luck, this would be calculus or  
physics or forigen languages. What was I gonna do?!  
  
The teacher began to pass out the notebooks in the corner, instructing us that the test  
questions were already inside the book. Pencils were already hooked into the binding of the   
notebook, so I didn't have to go looking for one. Pulling it out, I opened the book, expecting to  
be sitting there for hours trying to figure this out. Imagine my shock and confusion when I read  
the single question.  
  
"Write, in order, the letters of the alphabet. Write both uppercase and lowercase letters  
for each."  
  
"That's it?" I flipped through the entire notebook, looking for other questions. That was  
the only question in the book.   
  
"Oh, you guys have been shifting your whole life?" Paul came over and sat next to our   
little group.  
  
"Shifting our whole lives?" Sara asked. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well, you know how to do the advanced work. My parents taught me when I was little, so I  
know this stuff, but everyone else is just starting to remember how to do this."  
  
"Just starting?"  
  
"Well, yeah, maybe everyone else knew it at one point, but you know how it is..."  
  
"No, we don't." I replied.   
  
"Really?" Paul seemed confused, but he explained anyway. "When a person first becomes a  
Hybrid, they have to undergo years of testing and solitary to make sure they're not dangerous.  
With all that time they spend away from society, they tend to lose everything they once knew. They   
usually don't even remember their own name or who their family is. I got lucky and avoided that,   
and I guess you guys did to."  
  
"What?!" This wasn't making any sense! What was even the point of all that testing and  
stuff if all it did was turn once normal people into a child trapped in a adults body?!  
  
I looked around the room at everyone else. Surely no one else was having any problem with  
this...except they were. Almost everyone else in the room seemed stumped by the single question.  
I glanced over at Vaporeon, who was really trying to remember what the first letter Sara taught  
him. He started to write an A that looked nothing like it. He erased it, and tried again, still  
nowhere close. I watched him do this for what seemed like forever. Others close to me did the same  
thing. They had no clue what to write. Even when it came to writing letters that were right in  
the question, they still didn't understand what to do.  
  
"Why don't they just copy the letters in the question?" Sara asked no one in paticular.  
  
"Because they can't read, either." Paul pointed out.  
  
"They can't read?! Then how do they even know what the question is?!"  
  
"Well, the whole course is about learning the alphabet, and everyday, they remind us that  
the final exam is going to be on this."  
  
This was nuts! This was inhumane!...then again, they aren't human...that's it. They're  
treated like this because they aren't human. They may be half human, but that's not enough. I know  
it may not make sense to many people, but to the short-sighted racist individual, it made perfect  
sense.   
  
I completed the test without much difficulty, and waited the rest of the school day in   
that room. When we were released, Paul asked if we'd mind coming with him. He said he needed to do  
some things, and he might need some help.  
  
"Sure." I said. We needed a guide through this weird world, and Paul was the best we could  
get on such short notice. After we'd been bought to Paul's home on a bus that looked like the back  
of the police transport I'd been rudely thrown into in Viridian, we started off down the road.  
  
"Hey Paul," Sara said. "how come you're not wearing those Control Bands like everyone else?"  
  
"Well..." he looked around quickly before going on. "I shouldn't really be telling you   
this, but they don't work on me."  
  
"They don't?" Vaporeon said, confused. "Why not?"  
  
"Because I'm a dual Hybrid."  
  
"Uh...come again?" I asked.  
  
"I'm a dual Hybrid. The bands don't work because there's no way to cancel out the impulses  
that let me shapeshift. The bands can only handle one set of impulses from one Poke'mon whereas I  
use two when I shift. Using two different bands doesn't work, and you need to cancel out both of  
the impulses at the same time to cancel out any of them."  
  
"Oh..." A thought just occured to me. Why don't all Hybrids mate outside their species?  
Sure, it might be a bit akward at times, but if it cancels out both sig...  
  
"It's too bad they made it illegal for us to mate after I came around."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Yeah, Hybrids aren't allowed to make...love..." Paul said, kinda sheepishly.  
  
"And...what happens if they do?" Sara asked.  
  
"Usually life in prison, and if the girl is pregnant, they kill the baby."  
  
"Oh my..." What happened to freedom of choice?! Did the government twist around that so  
badly that Hybrids have almost no choice in life at all?!  
  
Really not happy with the person behind all this, we followed Paul for a while. Whenever  
we asked where we were going, Paul didn't say anything. When he stopped in front of the HappyDale  
Sanitarium, I was really confused.  
  
"What are we doing here?"  
  
"It's visiting day here."  
  
"And...who are we visiting?"  
  
I swear, he looked directly at me when he said it.  
  
"My Dad."  
  
I was in such shock that Sara had to drag me into the place. Paul was the only one with   
I.D. when we got in, so we were forced to stay in a waiting room while he went into the interview  
room.  
  
It was impossible to hear anything through the door, which they must have sound-proofed  
intentionally. However, I could still look through the glass of the door into the room. The room  
looked like a big cafetria, and Paul sat on one side of a table. When they bought out my future  
self, I couldn't even tell it was me at first. I'd changed so much that I couldn't even tell it  
was me, and the changes were not good at all.  
  
My future self looked pretty much the same in size and shape; I just looked taller and  
slighty bigger. However, my fur was all grey and long, like I'd hadn't cut it since I became a  
Hybrid. My tail dragged along lifelessly behind me, collecting dust as I made my way over to  
my son. Even my eyes were grey and cold; they'd lost their color and brightness(or at least that's  
how Sara explained it to me. Girls are better at this emotional stuff, so I let Sara handle this),  
  
The two of them talked for a while, and while I was sure that the guy behind all this was  
controlling what they said, it seemed to be pretty emotional. None of the rest of us said a lot.  
What was to be said? I just reflected on my thoughts, and tried to figure out what we were supposed  
to learn so we could get out of this messed up world. So far, though, all I could put together was,  
"Human good, Hybrid bad."  
  
We waited about an hour before my future self was hauled back through the door which he'd  
come through. Paul looked like he was about to cry, but he held himself together and came out,  
pretending that nothing had happened. I waited till we were outside before I asked any questions.  
  
"So...Paul, how's your Dad holding up?"  
  
"Better. They're giving him a little butter with his bread now, so he's as happy as he can  
be."  
  
"That's...nice..." What else could I say? That was supposed to be me! "So...how'd he...  
you know..."  
  
"Lose it?" I nodded slowly. "After Mom left, he just started to keep away from everyone.  
I tried to help him, but he wouldn't open up to anyone. Eventually, they took him away when they  
thought he'd be too dangerous to leave out in the public."  
  
"Oh." This couldn't be right. I couldn't go crazy...could I? I'd always bet one of my  
uncles would be the first to be put in a nuthouse. Then again, people who are insane probably don't  
even realize that they are.  
  
I was left alone to question my sanitiay as we kept walking. I didn't even look to see  
where we were going. I didn't recall stopping at a flower store, but when we stopped again, Paul   
was holding a bunch of roses in his hands.  
  
The place stank like rotting fruit when we stopped. I looked up to see where this foul  
odor was coming from. When I saw the sign, I felt kinda bad for thinking that it was fruit that  
was rotting.  
  
"Pallet Town Cematary" the sign simply read. Paul pushed open the heavy iron gate. We  
followed him in, though Sara and I were just trying to hold in our lunch when we reached the grave.  
  
"Who are we visiting?" Vaporeon asked, not able to see the grave from his spot behind us.  
  
"I don't know..." I glanced over Pauls shoulder to see the name written on the tombstone.  
I looked at it, then quickly looked at Sara, and then the tombstone again. I hate to steal quotes  
from movies, but I think this would've been the best time for Haley Joe to say his famous line.  
  
"I see dead people..."  
  
"Hey Mom," Paul said, setting the flowers down on top of the slightly elevated ground.  
"I just talked to Dad. He's doing O.K.. Hey, no one knocked over your stone this time. That's   
great..."  
  
I could tell Paul wasn't much of one for emotional situations. Probably inherited it from  
me. Sara first looked shocked, then her eyes started to fill with water. It was plain to see she was  
really trying to hold back the tears.  
  
Paul went on talking to his "dead" mother. Sara absorbed every word of it, and I got a lot  
of it too. Even Vaporeon looked distirbued by what Paul was saying. When Paul was done, Sara spoke  
almost immediatly.  
  
"Paul...I know it's not a good subject...but how did..."  
  
"Mom was at a sit in...I can't even really remember what for. It was supposed to be a  
peaceful thing, but some Hybrids turned it into a riot. They bought in water cannons filled with  
Blastoise water...she never stood a chance..."  
  
Now everyone was definitly in a bad mood. Even Vaporeon was looking down at the ground,  
not saying anything. Was this just part of what the twisted person behind all this wanted us to  
think, or is it really the future? If it was, I wasn't so sure I wanted a part in it.  
  
We stood around in uncomfortable silence for what seemed like forever. If it weren't for  
that silence, we probably would've never heard the truck pulling up at the front gates with all  
the people inside and in the back with various sharp and blunt objects. Paul looked over at them,  
muttered something even my sensitive hearing didn't pick up, then started running. When we didn't  
follow him at first, he was really confused.  
  
"Are you three crazy?! Run!"  
  
"What's going on?" Vaporeon asked.  
  
"The Hybrid Patrol is out. If they catch us, were as good as dead!"  
  
"Oh geez..." We all started off after Paul, but the mob had already spotted us. We squeezed  
out through a hole in the back fence of the cematary, then ran right into the middle of town. The  
mob chased us all the way, and even in the middle of town, we couldn't lose them.  
  
"We gotta hide somewhere!" Sara yelled as we ran through the strangely empty town.  
  
"Here!" We made a sharp turn around a street corner, then through a hole in an old   
building. We appeared to be in some sort of old gym. There was a lot of old gym equipment, most of  
it missing vital parts. Not stopping there, we went into a side room, slamming the door shut   
behind us.  
  
"YAH!" Sara yelped when she saw the giant swimming pool filled with water. Why an abandoned  
gym pool would be filled with water, don't ask me. I just know it was.   
  
"Come on!" Paul yelled. "They're not gonna take long to find us!"  
  
"Yeah, but how do we..." I started to say, but never even finished.  
  
CRUNCH!  
  
The door was broken off it's hinges as the mob came in. I looked around as the four of us  
backed into a corner of a room. There was no way out! There were no windows or doors, except for  
the one we used to get in with. We were trapped!  
  
The mob said nothing as they surrounded us. They just slowly patted their various weapons  
as they smiled a small smile, thinking of what they were going to do to us. That kid who's done   
the rebutal back at the school was with them. The last thing I remember was those green eyes before  
they all beared down on us.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
I slowly woke up, shaking uncontrollably. Thank goodness we got out of there before they  
actually got to do anything to us. We did all get out, didn't we?  
  
"SARA!" She was still laying down, but now she had her arms over her head, like she was  
trying to ward off all the blows she was suffering in the dream world. Vaporeon was up, but I   
couldn't see him beyond the black trenchcoat standing in front of him.  
  
"Let her out Raichu, NOW!" I demanded of the dark figure as I sat up.  
  
"I cannot." he said simply.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"My new employeer told me she was to be eliminated. With what I recieving, I see no reason  
not to follow through, and I personally don't care about you two anymore."  
  
"NO!" I scrambled over to Sara, shaking her vigorously. "Sara, wake Rai! Wake Rai!" Sara  
did stop covering her head, but she laid still.   
  
"Don't worry," the trenchcoat figure assured me. "She can't die."  
  
"Vap..." Vaporeon sighed.  
  
"She'll just sleep like that forever. If they kill her in that world, her brain will lose  
the connection between reality and fantasy. She'll just stay in a coma forever."  
  
"No..." This couldn't be happening! I couldn't just lose Sara like this! I attempted to  
tackle the creature, but all I did was crash into Vaporeon, passing right through the source of  
all our current problems.  
  
"Someone's being a bad Hybrid..." Vaporeon and I untangled oursleves in time to see six  
Poke Balls floating in the air. "Now I'm going to have to take these away..." With that, the six  
Poke Balls dissappeared.  
  
"Vapor, Vaporeon!" Vaporeon yelled. He tried to spit a Water Gun at it, but the water too   
passed right through it.   
  
"You two just aren't very quick, are you?" He looked over at Sara, who was now flailing  
about like a MagiKarp. "My work here is done." With that, he was gone in a puff of smoke.  
  
No...my Poke'mon,...Sara's Pokemon,...Sara...I'd lost them all. Vaporeon and I crawled over  
to Sara, trying to wake her. Vaporeon sprayed water at her, and I shook her as best as I could.  
I knew Vaporeon was actually hurting her, but maybe the pain would wake her up. Slowly, Sara  
stopped moving, then just laid still again, not moving at all.  
  
"Sara..." The crack in my voice was certainly noticable, even though I tried not to let  
it be obvious. She was just a vegtable now...probably didn't have a clue what was going on. I   
could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I tried to wipe them away, but they came right back.  
  
"Vap...oreon..." Vaporeon suddenly dashed out of the tent, not that I could blame him much.  
After all, he'd probably never seen a dead body before, and while Sara may not have been really  
dead, she might has well as been.  
  
Now what?, I asked myself. What do I do now? Just go on, forget about Sara and everything  
I'd just seen, and keep going? Stay here? I couldn't handle this on my own...  
  
"Vaporeon? Vaporeon?" I called out. He may never have been human, but he was the only  
person I still had left. I'd need his help.   
  
I tore my gaze away from Sara and numbly got out of the tent, calling for Vaporeon.   
Where ever he'd run to, he must have ran far. Fighting back more tears, I slowly went out to look  
for him.  
  
After ten minutes, I'd still hadn't seen Vaporeon anywhere. I hope he didn't run away  
again. Intentional or not, I didn't know if I had the energy to go look all over the woods for  
him.  
  
"Yoo-hoo, Mr. Hybrid!"  
  
"What the..." I followed the soft little voice into a clearing in the woods. When I  
saw the owner of that voice, I instantly turned to run, but she'd spotted me before I could get  
away. Suddenly my entire body just froze up. I couldn't move at all...Disable!  
  
"Hello, Mr. Hybrid." The little psyhic girl walked in front of me, looking as happy as   
she could. "I see my plan worked perfectly."  
  
Her plan? What plan could she be talking about? I tried to break the hold she had over me,  
but I still couldn't move.  
  
"I've finally got back my Vaporeon!" she said gleefully, opening one tiny hand. She enlarged  
the solitary ball to show me.  
  
"Vaporeon..." I tried to say, but even the muscles that controlled my mouth didn't work  
anymore. It was a Master Ball! Vaporeon never had a chance...  
  
"Now, what do I want to do with my other new doll?" She looked at me when she said that.  
She thought I was just some toy?! If my mouth was working, I'd would've said so much fowl language  
it would've warped her already messed up little mind.  
  
"My new doll isn't happy...now I need to punish him." She read my thoughts! The little...  
wait...why am I starting to float?!  
  
I slowly started to float through the air, unable to do anything to resist this. When I  
got about fifteen or so feet in the air, my body was suddenly pushed right into a thick tree.  
I tried to scream when I felt the pain shooting through my body, but even now, the Disable kept  
it hold.  
  
I was continuly smashed into tree after tree. Each time I tried to scream, my mouth refused  
to work. After about the tenth tree, I knew I'd had at least one leg broken, broken both my arms,  
smashed at least half my ribs, and I was cut almost everywhere by the sharp branches of the trees.  
Even my tail was cut by the branches, now hanging on by a few mangled threads of flesh.  
  
The whole time, the evil little girl just laughed as my bones were smashed into powder.  
My health was just some sick, twisted game to her! I couldn't even beg her to stop, not that she  
would've anyway.  
  
Finally, after about fifteen trees, I was dropped to the ground, pain once again shooting  
through me. I tried to look up, but still couldn't. Weither it was the Disable or the fact that my  
body was now just a crumpled heap of flesh and bone, I didn't know. However, my hearing still   
worked, which let me hear her final words.  
  
"Time to put away my doll!" She must have had two, because I heard call out, "Master Ball,  
go!"  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Sorry for the cliffhanger. I promise, I won't make Chp.16 a cliffhanger. Now, if you'll all kindly  
excuse me, I have to deal with a certain Furret theif.  
  
The_Seraph: You mean me, don't you?  
  
FireHybrid: Who else has stolen my Furret? I still don't know how you hypnotized her, but I'll  
fix that. (Invokes the anime ability to be able to get things from out of nowhere, and pulls out  
a small gong and ringer.) Furret, snap out of it! (Rings gong.)  
  
Furret:Furr...Fur? (Still in a slight daze. She looks around, then clutches at where a  
stomach normally would be.) "Furret..."  
  
The_Seraph: What's going on?  
  
FireHybrid: She's lactose intolerant, and you just feed her cheese! She's gonna be sick!  
  
Furret: Fur...BLECH!(Furret throws up on Seraph's foot. While Seraph attempts to clean his  
foot, FireHybrid pulls out a large, odd looking gun).  
  
FireHybrid: You're stick is pathetic. Prehaps you like to try my BSU...  
  
The_Seraph: BSU? Ballistic...Supersonic...Ultrasound?  
  
FireHybrid: (watchs Furret move away from The_Seraph) Blow Stuff Up. (Flicks switch on  
gun) or in your case, away.(Braces himself and pulls trigger. Even still, the kickback knocks him  
back. A giant stream of rippled air moves to Seraph, hitting him square in the chest. Seraph makes  
the classic Team Rocket exit as a result.)  
  
There we go. it's amazing what one can do when he has to deal with an idiot multiple times. While  
I get some medicene for Furret, please review my story. Also, if you have any ideas for my story,  
or how to take care of The_Seraph permentantly, let me know. My e-mail is firehybrid@swirve.com 


	16. Legendary Intervention

Chp. 16 is here. I'm starting a new Hybrid story, one set in the real world. It's going to be PG-13  
because of language and other stuff. Older readers of this story should keep their eyes open for it.  
I'll let everyone know soon when I plan to have it out. Until then, enjoy Chp.16.  
  
Note: Point of view changes twice during this chapter. The second time, Dan will be telling it,  
but the other times, a certain Poke'mon will be taking over. It'll be quickly revealed who that  
Poke'mon is.  
  
Note again: Big thanks to Tygerwind8 for her help with this chapter. Her suggestions made this  
chapter possible. Thank you Tygerwind! You've been a big help!  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chp. 16- Legendary Intervention  
  
  
  
"Master Ball, go!"  
  
The girl threw the ball at the crumpled pile of flesh that was once an ambitious Hybrid.  
I couldn't allow this to go on. This child had too much to learn, too much to do, too many people  
to help and meet before he could end his journey. This had to stop.  
  
I quickly set up a Barrier around the Hybrid who called himself Dan. Just as the ball was  
about to hit him, it bounced off the Barrier and landed on the ground in front of him. The girl  
seemed confused as to why this was happening. She looked around for the person who'd protected  
the child, but she didn't look up at me. Even her psyhic abilites couldn't have predicted this.  
  
Stop. I thought. Not yelled. Not said. Just thought. Everything below me stopped.  
Leaves froze in midflight, air stopped blowing; even the grass stopped twitching. The only thing  
that continued to move was me. I floated down to the near-lifeless Hybrid. Before I could do   
anything else for him, I had to heal him.  
  
Heal Bell. The sound of ringing bells filled the air, then slowly, the Hybrid's body  
began to mend itself. Bones moved back to their original positions and mended. Cuts closed and  
healed over within seconds. Even his tail, which was once hanging by a few torn shreds of flesh,  
sewed itself back together, as strong and as healthy as ever.   
  
Release. I released Dan from the time freeze, so I could explain to him what was about  
to happen. No one else was released; I couldn't risk any interruptions. He moved slowly at first,  
like he wasn't sure if he could still move or not. That was understandable. Others who had been  
in similar situations, barely clinging to life, reacted similarly when they were suddenly healed.  
  
"What the Chu..." He slowly picked himself up and looked over his once battered body. He got  
to his feet, apparently not noticing me. He looked around in confusion at the sudden stillness of  
everything. He even snapped his fingers in front of the psyhic girl, looking for some kind of  
reaction. "Hello? Raichu home?"  
  
Excuse me. I called up to him. He looked around, unable to find me. Down here.  
  
"What the..." He looked down at the ground. When he saw me, his face showed a reaction  
that looked to be a mix of amazement and fear. Finally, he managed to get out, "Are...Chu real?"  
  
Yes, I'm real. I floated up to his eye level. It's easier to talk to people when they're  
not looking down at you all the time.  
  
"But...Chu can't be." He followed me with his eyes, but his feet didn't move. Again, it's  
a common reaction when people see me. "They're Rai stories..."  
  
They're not just stories. I assured him. Many of those stories your mother told you to  
make you sleep at night were based mostly on truth.  
  
He paused for a moment, trying to recall those stories he was told as a baby. I knew he  
couldn't. He was too young at the time. If only he knew what really happened...but I can't reveal  
that, no matter how much I wanted to. He'd have to learn on his own.  
  
"Rai...are Chu really called..."  
  
Yes. I said with my psyhic voice. I am called Celebi, and have been called that for  
all of time. Of course, you know of my time travel abilites, so this is no surprise to you.  
  
He nodded slowly. "Yeah, Rai know Chu can time travel. Rai didn't know Chu could stop  
time, Raichu."  
  
I did not truly stop time. I admitted. We both keep traveling back to the same moment  
in time, so it appears time is really stopped.  
  
He nodded again, though he really didn't understand. He was just trying to be polite.  
  
"Can Rai ask something?"   
  
Why am I here? I finished for him. He seemed shocked to realize I knew what he was about  
to ask. Do you think that a psyhic Poke'mon that can travel through time can't do something as  
simple as read minds? Also, to put your other question to rest, I'm not the creature that you were  
trapped with back in Viridian. That was another psyhic Poke'mon.  
  
"Oh. So, why are Chu here?"  
  
I'm here to allow you to fix what is wrong.  
  
"Rai...there's a lot wrong Raichu. Chu really gotta be more specific."  
  
That is your descion to make. I can allow you to go back to any one point in time, and  
change something that happened.  
  
"Any point Rai time?" I nodded. He got quiet again, and I knew what he was thinking. There  
were two major things he wanted to fix.   
  
"Can Rai only go back Chu one time?"  
  
Yes. Everyone, Poke'mon, human or otherwise, is given one and only one chance to fix a  
past event.  
  
"Raichu...Is it O.K. if Rai talked to Chu about what Rai want to fix?"  
  
Yes, but I can offer no help.  
  
"Great." he sighed. I knew that's exactly what he wanted, but when it comes to matters like  
this, I feel morally obligated to remain netural.  
  
He said nothing, but I could still tell what he was thinking. He wanted to go back and  
fix what had just happened with Sara and Vaporeon, prevent it somehow. However, he also wanted to  
try and go back and prevent the baby of the people who'd raised him for almost thirteen years  
from being taken from the hospital that day. Maybe then, he rationalized, he wouldn't be a Hybrid,  
and he could have a normal life.  
  
I warn you now; anything you do in the past will affect your other actions that you  
would've taken afterwards.  
  
That I knew would cause some second thinking. Now did he not only have to worry about  
himself, but Sara, Misty, Vaporeon, and everyone else he'd already helped. How would his desicion  
affect their lives? Yes, Vaporeon wouldn't have been just captured, and Sara wouldn't be in a   
coma, but he also realized what else might happened if he chose to fix the matter at the hospital.  
Sara would still probably be trapped in her town, and Vaporeon might have been captured by the  
girl even earlier than now. Misty, too, would be trapped with Team Rocket, but since he wasn't in  
the right state of mind at the time, he didn't know what would happen with her.  
  
"Rai ready." he said after a few minutes of thinking.  
  
Where do you want to go? I asked, though I knew already.  
  
"Let me fix Rai just happened. Rai want to go back Raichu we were chased into the gym."  
  
If that is your descion. This wasn't all there was to do. I need to tell you something  
before I let you go back.  
  
"Rai?"  
  
I know you question wheither or not there is a point to all of this. Sometimes, you wish  
you didn't have to be what you are. I tell you now; you must continue on. No matter what, you have  
to press on, not just for you, but for the sake of everyone. Humans, Hybrids, Poke'mon; all   
creatures need you to complete your goal in life. Otherwise, there is a chance that everyone will  
suffer greatly for it.  
  
"Great." he muttered. "Why do Rai gotta get stuck Chu the hero job?..."  
  
Because you represent how two totally different races can unite to become one good thing.  
Everyone needs that to truly be able to unite with other races and make this world the best it  
can be. While your completing your quest will not do that all on it's own, it will be a big step  
toward it.  
  
"Wait! Isn't Raichu Hybrid going to try Rai unite everyone?"  
  
Others will try. However, there are so few of your kind who willfully admit what they   
are, and many will try to hide it from themselves, not to mention everyone else. The more of you  
that try, the better the chances, but right now, you are the only one who knows and is trying.  
  
"Thank Chu..." he paused for a minute before going on. "Rai are Chu telling me all this?  
Rai thought Chu could only take people back Rai time, not advise them."  
  
Under normal circumstances, yes. However, every race desires some help when it begins  
to thrive. Since you are the one beginning to unite your kind, I can help you more than others.  
I've done this for every race of Poke'mon. Humans too, milleniums ago, recieved some help from me.  
  
"O.K." He still wasn't quite sure he understood all this. "Can Rai get some help before  
Chu send me back?"  
  
I started to fly above him, circling him as I released a bluish-whitish powder all around  
him. It was time for him to go back.  
  
All I can say is this; You and Sara combined to create your own downfall, no matter if you  
realized it or not.  
  
A second after, there was a flash of light, and he was back to where he wanted to be.   
From here, he was on his own.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
We ran through the strangly empty city as the mob kept up their pace after us. We needed  
to hide!  
  
"In here!" Paul instructed us to follow him through a hole in an abandoned building. It  
looked like an old gym of some sorts. Lots of the equipment was missing vital parts...  
  
Wait...I was just here! I don't believe it! It really worked! I was really back in time!  
No one seemed to notice the look of surprise on my face, though when they went into the pool area,  
Sara had to yell at me to follow.  
  
"What...NO!" I stupidly ran in there after them. "Get out of here, NOW!"  
  
Too late. Paul slammed the door behind me, trapping us in there. No! Sara had told me to  
get in here, and I followed. This must have been what Celebi was talking about! I ran over to the  
door, pushing all my weight against it. I had to hold the door!  
  
"Dan, we need to find a way out of here, now!" Paul told me as he backed away from the  
door.  
  
"There isn't a way out! We're trapped!" I informed him.  
  
"How do you know that?!" Sara asked in confusion.  
  
"I just do, now help me with the door!" Sara paused for a moment, then joined me in trying  
to hold the door. She made it just in time; as soon as she started to push, the door lurched from  
the other side. "Vaporeon, we need more help!"  
  
"I'm coming!" He ran over and pushed on the door the best he could with his body. The door  
lurched again, and a large crack appeared in the wood.  
  
"Paul, help!" Sara yelled.  
  
"What's the point?"   
  
"What are you talking about?!"  
  
"They're just gonna come in here and get us anyway. Why bother?"  
  
"Since when did you get to be such a downer?" I yelled as the door lurched again. Now the  
crack was getting really big.  
  
"It's...it's just pointless, that's all!"  
  
"That's all?! What's wrong with yo..." Suddenly it hit me like a Mega Punch from a Golem.  
Six Raichu tails, muzzle, Raichu ears, yellow cheeks, Vulpix shaped feet...Celebi wasn't talking  
about me and Sara! He was talking about PAUL!  
  
I charged at Paul, who tried to get out of the way, but couldn't. I rammed him with my   
shoulder, knocking him back. He slipped on the water surrounding the pool and fell into it, making  
a huge splash.  
  
"Dan! What are you doing?!" Vaporeon yelled. "Paul's been helping us!"  
  
"No he hasn't!"  
  
"That doesn't make any sense!" Sara said. I looked over at her and noticed something. As  
Paul sputtered and struggled in the pool, the mob outside did nothing. It was almost like they were  
connected...  
  
"It's the trenchcoat guy!" I yelled out. That had to be it! He was the one who led us  
all around town. He was the only one who went into the interview room. He was the one who had the  
flowers when we went to the cematary, even though we never stopped at a flower store. He was the  
one who led us in here to be trapped in the first place. It was all him!  
  
"Blan! Blep me!" I knocked Paul into the deep end, and apparently, he didn't know how to  
swim, judging be the way he could barely keep his head above water.  
  
"Guys, come here!" Vaporeon and Sara ran over to stand on ethier side of me. "If were still  
under Dream Eater, I think maybe he can be hurt too! Everyone attack him at once!"  
  
They seemed confused at first, till I started to charge up. Then they started to get the  
idea. Sara's eyes lit up with fire as she took deep breaths, getting ready for a huge blast.  
Vaporeon had a growing ball of blue light in front of his mouth, readying an Ice Beam.  
  
"RAICHU!" I cried out. Electricity surrounded me totally, pouring non-stop out of my   
cheeks. I'd never had this kind of power or control before! I didn't think about it too much at the  
time, but I later developed a theroy for it. We were in a dream world, where the mind is the only  
major functioning body part. Somewhere, deep within mine, Sara and Vaporeon's brains, lays the   
total control of our powers. Somehow, being in this dream world must have given us temporary  
access to our full powers.  
  
"Time to WAKE UP!" I yelled. Sara spit a continuious column of flame at the same time   
Vaporeons Ice Beam let loose. I followed up right behind them with a giant bolt of electricty that  
could put the worlds worst storm to shame. They traveled together, heading right for Paul.  
  
"AHHH!!!" Paul screamed as the combined force of our attacks hit him. While Sara's fire  
didn't do as much as it could, it still signed him pretty bad. Besides that, not only did my  
electricity, sped up with the water's natural conducting ability, really sting, Vaporeon Ice Beam  
began to freeze over the water, and Paul with it. He already had his right arm frozen, and it was  
quickly expanding to the rest of him.  
  
"AHHHH!!!!!"  
  
All three of us bolted upright from our sleeping positions. Yes! We'd gotten out! I'd   
fixed it! I fixed the past!  
  
The trenchcoat creature was now on the floor of the tent, still screaming. His right arm  
was covered totally in ice, and his trenchcoat was burned pretty badly. Actually, now that I   
looked myself over, my clothes looked kinda singed, like it came from all the electricity. Did I  
really use all that power?  
  
The three of us got to our feet and surrounded the writhing creature. Even as he screamed,  
which was finally starting to slow down, Sara and I dragged him outside and propped him up   
against a tree. We waited till he stopped screaming before we asked any questions.  
  
"Alright Raichu," I said. "Why did Chu attack us?"  
  
"I'll...say nothing." he said in a strained voice.  
  
"O.K., Rai be more specific. Rai is that girl employing Chu?"  
  
"How...how do you know about that?" he said.  
  
"Vul, how do Pix know about that?" Sara asked with a hint of confusion in her voice.  
  
"Rai explain later," I assured her. "Now, start talking, CHU!"  
  
He still refused to say anything. He just moaned and laid against the tree, not moving at  
all. Actually, if it weren't for that silence, we never would've heard Vaporeon.  
  
"Vaaaa..." Vaporeon moaned and started to look weak in the knees. He was barely holding  
himself up at all.  
  
"Chu O.K., Vaporeon?" I asked, looking back over at him.  
  
"I...Vaporrrr..." He nodded, but then suddenly clutched at his head, landing face first  
in the dirt.   
  
"Vaporeon!" Sara and I ran over to Vaporeon, trying to figure out what the problem was.  
He started to twitch uncontrollably, and he slammed his head into the ground repeatily. Sara tried  
to hold him still, but he shaking was so bad he broke away and moved into her, knocking her down.  
  
The two of us struggled with Vaporeon, still unable to get him to stop. His seizure, or  
whatever it was, only continued to get worse. In the confusion, we temporarily forgot about the  
trenchcoat creature.  
  
"Vap, Vap, Vap!" he cried out as we struggled with him.   
  
"Vaporeon, chill out!" I told him.  
  
"VAP! VAP! VAP!"  
  
"Vaporeon, calm down!" Sara said, trying to grab his arm. He just broke away from her.  
  
"VAP! VAP! NO!"  
  
The sudden burst of English caught us off gaurd. We backed away as Vaporeon suddenly stopped  
thrashing about. What happened next really surprised us.  
  
He stood up. He stood up on two legs, all on his own! Before, he couldn't even stand up  
without me to help him most of the way, and now he just did it all on his own! Then he took a few  
steps forward, without any problem at all. He couldn't even move at all on two legs before! The  
surprises didn't stop there, ethier.  
  
"You've hurt so many people already, you vile demon." Vaporeon spat. This was total   
English I was hearing, not one bit Vaporeon speech at all! Something weird was going on here...  
"Now, give my new friends back their Poke'mon!"  
  
"Va...poreon?" Sara asked in shock. The collar of the trenchcoat turned to Vaporeon.  
  
"I'd like to see you try!" he said confidently.  
  
"If you must." Vaporeon stood still for a moment, then, I swear, started to GLOW. It was  
the same blue light as the eyes of the girl back at the gym. Was Vaporeon...psyhic?  
  
Nothing happened for a few seconds, then six Poke Balls began to float from theside of  
the creature. He made a lame grab for them as they floated over to me and Sara, but missed. When  
the Poke Balls were inbetween me and Sara, they seperated into two groups of three, with one group  
floating over to ethier of us. Later we realized that Vaporeon had gotten all of our Poke'mon   
exactly right! Sara got her's in her group, and I got mine in my group.  
  
"You stupid...I thought she'd already taken care of you!" the creature whined.  
  
"Even her powers couldn't have predicted what truly happened to me. Now, run back to your  
employer and let her know of your failure!" Vaporeon was still glowing when the trenchcoat creature  
began to glow as well. After a few seconds, he dissappeared in a puff of smoke.  
  
We stood in a long, akward silence. Vaporeon said nothing. Sara said nothing. I said   
nothing. I was still trying to absorb everything that just happened, and I guessed Sara was too.  
Finally, Sara managed to speak.  
  
"Vaporeon," she said slowly, "what Vul happened?"  
  
"I'm not truly the Vaporeon you've come to know." Vaporeon, or what WAS Vaporeon, said,  
turning toward us.  
  
"Well...then who are Chu?" I asked, just as slow.  
  
"My name is...is...is..." Suddenly, Vaporeon collapsed on the ground again, not twitching  
or anything like that. Needless to say though, we were still concerned about him.  
  
"Vaporeon!" I rushed over and knelt down next to him, holding up his head. His eyes looked  
hazy, and his eyelids were fluttering, like he couldn't hold them open.  
  
"Please..." he said, his hand slowly and shakily reaching up to me. "This maybe...the   
last time...I can speak to...you...please...do what I...could not...Tell her...tell her I still  
love her..."  
  
"Who?"   
  
Vaporeon mouth started to make the name, but he passed out before he could say it.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
I appeared back in the woods, just outside the tent of the Hybrids. Dan was the only one  
awake. After the days events, Vaporeon had regained conciousness, but he seemed to be back to,  
"normal". He no longer spoke English, and he has no memory of what happened after escaping the  
dream prison. After what had happened, they decided to just rest and keep their eyes open for   
anything suspicious. Nothing had come, but Dan had volunteered to stay on gaurd for the night  
anyway. It was very late, and he was tired, though he fought sleep with everything he had in him.  
I phased through the material of the tent inside. There was one last thing I needed to do before  
I was done.  
  
Hello, Dan. It took a few seconds, but he did seem taken aback by my presence.  
  
"YAH!" Yes, he was surprised. "Geez, Chu scared me!"  
  
I am sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you.  
  
"Yeah, well it's Rai everyday one has Rai legendary Poke'mon come Chu him twice in a day!"  
He took a few breaths to calm down. "So...are Chu here for a reason?"  
  
Yes, I have a reason for being here. You did a good job today. I knew you'd figure out what  
to do.  
  
"Raichu. There's more, isn't there?"  
  
I nodded. Nothing you need to worry about. Just close your eyes and go to sleep. You have  
earned it.  
  
I floated over to Dan and brushed a wing along his head. He quickly fell back and began  
to sleep, all memories of my visit, everything that happened between the first time they were  
chased to my sending him back, to this very visit, wiped from his mind.  
  
I phased out of the tent and prepared to leave. Yes, I've helped many races. However, once  
they've done what they need to do, I erase the memories, just as a precaution. Like everyone else  
I've done this for, Dan hadn't told anyone of my visit. After all, what would he say? "Hey guys,  
a time traveling Poke'mon had to help fix some stuff so Vaporeon didn't get captured by the little  
girl, and Sara wouldn't get put in a permenant coma, and I didn't get tossed around like a rag   
doll, but don't worry, I fixed it this time."? No, that was highly unbelievable.  
  
I quickly moved on into a different time. After all, there were still many others I needed  
to help. I would have to keep an eye on these three, however. They're very special. Yes, very  
special indeed...  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
And so concludes Chp. 16. Please review my story, and tell me what you think. All feedback is   
appriciated. Once again, thank you Tygerwind for all the help you provided to me for this chapter.  
Other readers; please, if you have ideas, send them to me! As you can see, I give all credit where  
do.  
  
Once again, I have another short scene from the 8-bit theater at nuklearpower.com  
  
(Fighter and the Black Mage arrive at the gate of Cornorea. At the gate, they see two gaurds.)  
  
1st gaurd: Welcome to Cornorea!  
  
Black Mage: Thanks! What's up?  
  
1st gaurd: Welcome to Cornorea!  
  
Black Mage: (long, akward pause) O.K., I'm gonna go talk to my friend now. (To Fighter) Hey Fighter,  
do these guys seem weird to you?  
  
2nd gaurd: (to Fighter) Welcome to Cornorea!  
  
Fighter: (to 2nd gaurd) I like swords.  
  
2nd gaurd: Welcome to Cornorea!  
  
Fighter: I like swords.  
  
2nd gaurd: Welcome to Cornorea!  
  
Fighter: I like swords. (This goes on...)  
  
Black Mage: Urge to destroy world rising... 


	17. Dark Fire and Black Ice

Alright, it's occured to me prehaps I've been straying from the whole Poke'mon idea lately with my  
story. This chapter is being dedicated to starting to fix that. It's not perfect, and yes, I still  
will have Hybrids, of course, but now I have Poke'mon more directly related to the topic. As always,  
please review when you're done and let me know what you think. Also, ideas are once again always  
welcome. If you don't know my e-mail, it's firehybrid@swirve.com  
  
Note: My new story, the one I said would be rated PG-13 for language and other stuff last time, will   
probably be out within a week of this update.   
  
Future notice note: Unless otherwise noted in this section, a chapter will be told from Dan's POV.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Chp.17-Dark Fire and Black Ice  
  
Over a week had went by, and we were about two days outside Lavander. We hadn't had any  
weird occurances or attacks lately. Even still, we do have at least one Hybrid stand gaurd during  
the night. We rotate each night, and before a new week begins, we draw straws to see who gets  
stuck with three nights instead of two. Well, as luck would have it, I got the short straw, so I  
had to watch over everyone for three nights. It's not too bad. Usually, at least one of our Poke'mon  
can't sleep, and they keep me company during the night.  
  
Anyway, during this night, Bulbasaur decided to stay up with me. I keep myself awake at  
night by looking over my PokeDex or by listening to a Poke'mon just talk for a while. I figure  
if I want to be able to understand Poke'mon better, I need to do things like a Poke'mon would do  
it. By that, I mean learning through experience. Not like levels or anything like that(personally,  
I don't believe in them.), but exposing myself to Poke'mon as much as possible. So far, I haven't  
really picked up too much, but you need to give things like this time.  
  
This night, I was listening to Bulbasaur go on about what his life in the wild was like  
before he was captured and trained to be a starter Poke'mon. I listened for as long as I could,   
but soon, it just got to be repetative, and my mind wandered. However, something did catch my  
attention about one in the morning.  
  
HOOOOUUUUUNNNNN...  
  
"Raichu?" It sounded like something was howling. Bulbasaur stopped talking and listened to  
it too. Seeing no one was awakened by the howls, I told Bulbasaur to wait here while I went to  
check it out.   
  
We were still deep in the woods, so their was a good chance that there were a lot of wild  
Poke'mon around. Even if I couldn't get any tonight, maybe I could at least see where they gathered,  
so I could come back later.  
  
There was another howl, farther off. I followed it, realizing prehaps I was getting too  
far away from the others. Just go a little further, and then go back, I told myself. You don't  
want to lose the group.  
  
I went about another couple hundred of yards, but I still didn't find the howlers. Dejected  
and worried about the others, I decided to turn around and head back. About halfway there, though,  
I could hear something...a LOT of something...heading toward me from the direction of the tent.  
Whatever they were, they were out of sight, but not hearing.  
  
"Uh-oh..." Maybe I'd better just go around them. I started to head off to one side, but   
then I could hear them from that direction as well. I tried another direction. They were coming  
from there too! I was surrounded!  
  
I felt the butterflies begin to fly in my stomach. This couldn't end well. A bunch of wild  
Poke'mon, trapping a creature that was a mix of human and Poke'mon? Maybe they'd just leave me  
alone, but they'd probably attack. After all, I was in their territory. They'd probably see me as  
a threat.   
  
Something snapped, but I thought it was just a twig and ignored it. I stood there,   
paralyized with fear. I didn't notice that the snap was in fact one of my bones shifting, till I  
heard more and more of them. In my fear, I didn't even notice my hands were totally gone till I  
started to notice everything around me getting rapidly larger.  
  
"Raiiii..." *Nooooo...* Great, this was the last thing I needed. Now is not the time for this,   
I thought as my clothes started to heap around me. My face felt like clay as it shifted to take on a   
more Raichu apperance. Now I really felt like I was going to be sick.  
  
My legs suddenly shrank till they were almost unnoticable. The sudden height loss caused  
me to fall about a foot and land roughly on my back. I was really tangled up in my clothes this time.  
Even as I struggled, I could hear the things surrounding me. I couldn't tell exactly what they were,  
only that it didn't smell human or like any Poke'mon I've ever run into before.  
  
I felt nothing else moving by the time I scrambled out from my clothes. Yup, I thought,  
looking myself over and seeing I was now totally a Raichu again. I've done it again.  
  
"Houndoom." *You, face me.*  
  
"Rai?" *Huh?* I'd almost forgotten about the Poke'mon that surrounded me. Looking up, I   
saw I was in the middle of a ring made of mostly Houndors, but there was one large Houndoom as well.  
Seeing how much larger it was and hearing the tone of its voice, I quickly did as ordered.  
  
"Houndoom?" it asked. *Why are you here?*  
  
"Rai...Raichu, Chu Rai." *I...was studying these human clothes.*  
  
"Houndoom, Hound Hound. Hound, Houndoom." *That's not what I meant. Why are you in   
this area?*  
  
"Rai...Raichu?" *I...got lost?*  
  
"Hound? Hound, Hound. Doom Doom Doom." *Lost? You must be. There are no Raichus in this  
forest."  
  
That made the fur on my neck stand up. I don't care if you're a Poke'mon whose just trying  
to figure out why someone is on your territory; whenever I hear the word, "Doom" repeated a lot,  
I tend to get a bit scared.  
  
"Houndoom Hound, Doom Hound?" it said, taking a step toward me. *There are not even Pichu's  
here, so can you explain your presense?*  
  
"Rai..." *Sure...* Come on, Gotem, think fast! Why would a Raichu be in a forest where   
there supposedly aren't even any Pichu's?  
  
"Rai...Raichu Raichu. Rai Rai, Chu Raichu Chu, Rai Rai." *I...ran away from my trainer.  
He was bad to me, and I escaped to here so he wouldn't find me.*  
  
"Houndoom, Doom?" *You don't like humans?*  
  
"Raichu, Rai!" *No, human bad!*  
  
I don't know, I just blurted that out! What could I say? I had a huge Houndoom looking at  
me like I was a late night snack, and a bunch of Houndors surrounding me and growling. I got scared!  
Houndoom looked at me like I was an idiot who couldn't talk right, but if I were in it's position,   
I doubt I could disagree with it.  
  
"Hound. Houndoom, Hound Hound, Doom..." *Fine. You may stay, but you need to learn some  
guidelines first...*  
  
For the next half hour, I was forced to listen about what trees I may sleep in, where I  
could get my food and water, and basically how to live life out in the wild. I said nothing, but  
just nodded at the appropriate times. I wasn't about to challenge them in anyway. Finally, the  
Houndoom let me go. The Houndors moved to let me out, but as I left, the Houndoom called after me.  
  
"Houndoom, Doom Hound." *By the way; beware the Sneazels.*  
  
"Raichu Rai?" *Beware the Sneazels?* What was this thing talking about?  
  
"Raichu..." *I will...*   
  
Weridos, I thought, starting back toward the tent. I'd have to come back for my clothes  
later, unless the Houndors and Houndoom took them. Oh well. A shirt and pants are well worth my  
continued good health!  
  
As I made my way back on all fours, my nose caught the smell of smoke. It wasn't like the  
smoke from a grill, though. Something was on fire...and it was coming from the direction of the  
tent!  
  
"Rai!" *Oh no!* I ran as fast as I could, worried about what was going on. Where was  
Totodile? Shouldn't he be putting this thing out?! And what about Bulbasaur, and my other Poke'mon?  
What was happening with them?  
  
By the time I reached my tent, I saw most of my stuff sitting against a tree. However, my  
tent was reduced to a smoldering pile of...whatever tents are made out of. There was no sign of  
any of the Poke'mon, or of Sara and Vaporeon. Where could they be?  
  
"Raichu? Raichu? Raichu? Raichu!" I called out. *Sara? Vaporeon? Bulbasaur? Where are you!*  
  
No one responded to my calls. Seeing I couldn't do a lot from my current position, I   
scrambled up a nearby tree, finding it was rather easy, despite the fact I lacked fingers or hands.  
It was dark, though, and a Raichus night vision is about equal to that of a humans, so I couldn't  
really see where I was going.  
  
After I got about halfway up, I started to leap from branch to branch, trying to get to   
the top. I'd figured I could get the best view from there. However, during my climb, I accidently   
stepped on the tail of something. When that tail was suddenly pulled out from under me, it threw me   
off balance. I swung my arms wildly about there for a few seconds as I tried to stay up. Finally, at  
the last second, I collapsed on the branch and hung on for dear life.  
  
"Furret, Fur Furret!" *Hey, watch it you clumsy rat!*  
  
"Rai...Raichu?! Raichu..." *Sor...Clumsy rat?! Why you...* I got to my feet and saw Furret  
more ahead on the branch.  
  
"Raichu Rai, Rai Chu Raichu! Raichu, Chu Rai Rai!" *First of all, I'm a mouse, not a rat!  
Secondly, that's no way to talk to your trainer!*  
  
"Furret? Furret...Ret. Fur, Furret! Furret..." *Trainer? What are you...oh. Dan, I'm sorry!  
I didn't know...*  
  
I'd told all my Poke'mon about my tendecy to become a Raichu ever now and then, so they   
knew if I wasn't around, and a Raichu insisted it was their trainer, they should at least humor it.  
While I knew it wouldn't be the easiest adjustment to make, it was better than losing everyone if  
they all went off to look for me.  
  
*What happened to everyone?*(From here on out, I'm just writing the translations for   
Pokemon speech.)  
  
Furret told a story that began with Bulbasaur waking her up. There were a bunch of figures  
outside the tent, making weird noises. Before they could wake the others, the figures attacked,  
leaving slashes in the tent and abruptly waking up the others. Sara, once she realized what was   
going on, ordered everyone to run. Furret ran out with someone else, but in her panic, Furret   
didn't see who. By the time Furret got up the tree and turned to see what was happening, all  
she saw was my tent burning, and most of my stuff on the ground next to it.  
  
*Slashes in the tent?*   
  
*Yeah, there were slashes all over. Hundreds!*  
  
Hmm...what Poke'mon could've made slashes in the tent and light it on fire? I'd say the   
Houndor's, except they don't have any claws to make slashes.  
  
*Come on. Lets find the other one who ran out.*  
  
We climbed down and started calling out for everyone.Furret and I stuck together as we   
searched around, so we didn't lose each other. I guess it was about fifteen minutes or so before   
we heard the yelling.  
  
*Get it off me! Get it off me!*  
  
We followed the yelling to a small pond. Totodile was flailing about in the middle of the  
lake, like something was holding him down.  
  
*Totodile! We're coming!* How exactly was I going to get out there? Even if I could swim   
in this body, how could I really attack whatever was holding Totodile down without hurting him?  
  
*Hang on!* Furret started to shake her tail. I watched this, not sure exactly what was going   
on. Slowly, a blue piece of something began to fall out through the bottom of her tail. More and   
more of it came out, until it finally landed on the ground.  
  
*Huh?* Unless I was mistaken...and there was a good chance I was...Furret just knocked a   
small surfboard out of her tail!  
  
Before I could figure out what was going on, Furret grabbed the board in her front paws  
and dove into the lake. Laying out on the board, she swam out to Totodile. It was amazing how well  
she was able to swim with her small front paws. She made her way over to Todotile, looking for  
what was holding him down.  
  
*Alright, what's holding yo...* Suddenly, Furret sighed and shook her head. Then she did   
something totally uncalled for.  
  
SWIPE!  
  
*FURRET!* She just swiped Totodile across the snout! What was that for?! Totodile  
stopped moving and clutched at the scratched spot on his snout.  
  
Furret said calmly, *Totodile...stop moving.*  
  
*Stop moving?! Are you craz...oh.*   
  
*Oh geez...* I sighed  
  
The water stopped at Totodile's neck! I could've just walked in and help him out! Furret  
leapt down off her board and pulled out the small plant that was stuck on Totodile's tail. They  
walked back in together, with Furret pushing her board out in front of her.  
  
*Well, that was needlessly dramatic...*  
  
Totodile looked down at the ground. *Sorry...*. After a moment, he looked at me, confused.   
*Wait, should I know you?*  
  
*Geez, didn't you guys get this the first time we explained it?...*  
  
After explaining who I was once again, I asked Totodile if he had anything to add to Furret's  
story. Totodile said a blue beam of something nicked him as he ran out, but not enough to do any  
damage or slow him down. However, it felt really cold.(Some how, during all this, Furret put away  
her surfboard, but I didn't see it myself.)  
  
A blue, cold beam? What could that be? Nethier Pokemon had any clue, nor did I.   
  
*Come on, let's go back. We need to find the others!*  
  
We all started back toward the tent. How exactly were we going to find the others? Maybe  
I could pick up their scent back at the site and follow that to them. Still, then what? We'd  
probably have to fight whatever took them in the first place, and if Furret and Totodile were  
right, there'd be a lot of them to fight.  
  
As we closed in the site, I heard something mumbling over by my stuff. I told the Poke'mon  
to wait at a distance, then I quietly snuck over toward the equipment. Something was looking  
through our packs and taking stuff out. It was robbing us!  
  
Still moving slowly and quietly to avoid attention, I snuck up behind the creature. It was...  
a Sneazel? At the moment, it was inside Sara's pack and was throwing things out behind it. It still  
didn't seem to notice me. Hmm...should I? No, that's wrong...but going through our stuff isn't  
exactly right, ethier.  
  
While the Sneazel continued to raid Sara's pack, I moved up to the flap of her bag that  
closed the section Sneazel was currently in. Closing the flap, I clicked the the buckles in place,  
trapping it.  
  
*What the...hey!* The flap suddenly moved as Sneazel tried to break through, but it held.  
  
*Guys, come here!* I called out.  
  
Sneazel made several unsucessful attempts at breaking out with force. When Furret and   
Totodile were about halfway to me, Sneazel finally got smart. It slashed through the flap, trying  
to make a hole to escape. Quickly, I moved in front of the hole, just far enough to avoid getting   
hit, and laid on my stomach, looking in the hole.  
  
*Hi.* I said with a little smile. Sneazel looked at me, confused.  
  
*Uh...hello.*  
  
*You should stay.*  
  
*Stay? Why?*  
  
*Do you want 100,000 volts running through you?*  
  
*No...*  
  
*Then stay."  
  
Sneazel decided not to take the risk I was bluffing(which I was) while the others made  
their way over. They quickly looked in at the trapped dark-type before we talked about what to do  
with it. After a few minutes of discussion, we came up with a rather cruel, yet effective idea.  
  
While I got some rope out of my bag, Totodile and Furret forced Sneazel out and held it  
by the arms to keep it from escaping. After I'd gotten a good deal of rope, the three of us proceeded  
to tie Sneazel to a nearby tree. For the first and probably only time in my life, all the time I  
spent in the Boy Scouts learning knots finally came in handy. I instruced Totodile how to make the  
knot(He was the only one of us with decent hands for things like this) so that Sneazel couldn't  
escape.  
  
We explained to Sneazel what was going to happen. If it told us what we wanted to know, we  
would let it go. If it didn't, Totodile was going to spray it with water. If it still refused to  
say what we wanted to hear, Furret would scratch it. If it STILL refused to say what we wanted to  
hear, I would give it a little, "shock", therapy. Sneazel seemed none too pleased with this, but  
it really didn't have much of a say in the matter.  
  
*Alright, why are you stealing our stuff?* I asked.   
  
*Your stuff? These things belong to humans.* Sneazel replied.  
  
*They belong to...our trainers.* It ocurred to me that Sneazel would probably be confused  
by the concept of creatures half-human and half-Pokemon, so I decided to avoid the subject.  
  
*We require...* it started to say, then stopped.  
  
*We? We who? Require what?* Nothing. *Totodile!*  
  
*Got it.* Totodile opened his mouth and used Water Gun on Sneazel.  
  
GLUGLUGLUGLUGLUGLUG!  
  
*Blhey! Blop!* Sneazel cried out.  
  
*You heard it.* Totodile stopped and Sneazel gasped for air. *Alright, let's try this again.  
Why are you going through our trainers stuff?*  
  
*We require supplies for the great battle ahead of us.*  
  
*We who?*  
  
*The Sneazels who live in this forest.*  
  
*Who are you fighting?* Furret asked.  
  
The Sneazel refused to respond once again. Will this thing ever learn?  
  
*Furret, Fury Swipes!* I instructed.  
  
*O.K., O.K!* Sneazel yelped. *We're fighting the Houndor's who are trying to take over our  
territory.*  
  
*Fine...* Wait...Sneazels had pretty sharp claws...and a blue, cold beam...  
  
*Ice Beam!*  
  
*Huh?*  
  
*Why did you attack our trainers tent?*  
  
*Tent? What is a 'tent'?*  
  
*It's that thing that you Sneazels attacked before with all the people in it.*  
  
*We...* Pause.   
  
*Be that way...* I closed my eyes and began to concentrate on charging up. I could feel  
electricty begin to surround me totally. *Raiiii...*  
  
*We thought they were allied with the Houndor's, so we attacked them!* it quickly confessed.  
  
*Good.* I stopped with the electricity and opened my eyes. *Where are they now?*  
  
*Back with the others. You'll never get your friends away.*  
  
*And why not?* Totodile asked.  
  
*They are frozen in ice. It will be impossible to free them without heat, and I notice you  
have no fire amoungst you.*  
  
*Where can we find the others?*  
  
Sneazel gave us the directions to the rest of the group. Great, now all I have to do is  
get my friends, who are frozen in ice, melt that ice somehow, and escape before anyone noticed.  
That's not hard...  
  
*Hey, what about me?* Sneazel cried as we turned to leave. *You said you'd let me go if I  
told you what you want!*  
  
*I did.* I admitted. *However, you didn't read the fine print. I said I'd let you go. I   
didn't say when I'd let you go.*  
  
Sneazel started to yell and scream, but we ignored it and followed it's directions to where  
the others were. Hey, Sneazel didn't mention anything about the tent burning. Maybe it didn't   
burn the tent. Maybe it was the Houndor's after all. Oh well; better worry about that later. I've  
got more important matters to take care of.  
  
It was about a half mile walk to where Sneazel had directed us. There was a little valley  
that we looked down into. Sneazels were off in various groups, mostly talking about the battle  
ahead or eating various foods. However, something else caught my attention.  
  
Off in one corner of the valley, sat six blocks of ice. In that ice were five Pokemon and  
one Hybrid. Vaporeon, Bulbasaur, Nidoran, Pidgeotto, Railina, and...a Vulpix? Sara! She must have  
changed when they were attacked. Unfortunetly, they were also surrounded by a ring of Sneazels, so  
we weren't going to be able to get them in any direct manner.  
  
One Sneazel in paticular got my attention. It was much larger than all the other Sneazels,  
and seemed to be in charge, judging by the way the other Sneazels offered food to it or got out  
of the way if it was walking in their direction. When this large Sneazel got up onto a large rock,  
everyone of the others turned their attention to it.  
  
*Sneazels! Heed my words! Today is the day we overcome the evil that has been threatening  
us for months! These evil dogs have attacked our kind, stolen our food and ravaged our peaceful way  
of life! Now we must take a stand, or be forced to suffer at the paws of these evil creatures!*  
the large Sneazel declared. The other Sneazels cheered at this and yelled, *Down with dogs!*.  
  
*These guys don't like Houndor's, do they?* Furret said, peering down at all the action  
below us.  
  
*No they don't.* Totodile agreed.  
  
*Regretfully,* the lead Sneazel called out after everyone had calmed down. *my daughter will  
not be able to join us for this battle. Has no one any new news about her whereabouts?* There were  
a few murmurs amoungst the group, but no one said anything. The big Sneazel shook it's head. *I  
fear for her safety, but we must defeat the evil dogs tonight, before they have the chance to  
strike us again. Once they are defeated, then we can focus our energies on finding her.*  
  
*Geez, you'd think it be more worried about finding it's daughter than going off into some   
slaughter.* I thought aloud.  
  
I was laying on my stomach, looking down at all this. This left my tail out in plain sight,  
and of course I wasn't paying any attention to it. However, I soon regretted not keeping an eye on  
it.  
  
CHOMP!  
  
*OW!* Something bit my tail! Whatever it was, it was biting with all it's strength, trying  
to hang on. I ran around in circles, hoping to knock whatever it was off, but it held on.  
  
*Hey, that looks like fun!* I heard a new voice say. Soon...  
  
CHOMP!  
  
*OW!* Now I had TWO sets of teeth biting on my tail! *FURRET! TOTODILE! GET THESE THINGS  
OFF ME!*  
  
*Hey, get off!* Furret yelped. She grabbed the owner of one set of teeth and started to   
yank, then Totodile grabbed the other pair of teeth and yanked as well. While they tried to remove  
them, I tried with everything I had in me not to scream bloody murder.  
  
Finally, I felt one set of teeth be removed, then the second one gave way. I held my now  
managled tail, rubbing and blowing on the spots where I'd been bitten. Poor tail...you've been so  
good to me. I'm telling you; my tail doesn't get enough respect! It keeps me from shocking myself  
with electricity, its picked locks for me; it's the most useful part of my body. Now it's all  
mangaled, with teeth marks still in it. I gotta learn to be better to my tail!  
  
*Whoa...* O.K., that was totally not normal thinking! I think I was starting to act a bit  
like a Raichu again. Still, that was scary, even if I was thinking like a Raichu. Blowing on my  
tail a little longer, I turned to see who'd just violated me.  
  
*Huh?* Furret and Totodile were holding the attackers, even though they weren't struggling.  
It was a small Houndor and Sneazel. There was no way these two could've been more than a few months  
old.  
  
*That was fun!* the Houndor said with a smile, looking at the Sneazel.  
  
*Yeah, it was great!* the Sneazel agreed.  
  
*Not for me!* I yelled. Wait a minute...a Houndor and a Sneazel together? That's weird.  
  
*You two are friends?* I asked.  
  
*Of course we're friends!* the Sneazel said.  
  
*But...don't Sneazels hate Houndor's?* Totodile asked.  
  
*Well, my parents and the other Houndor's don't like them,* the Houndor said, looking at  
the Sneazel. *but she's fun to play with!*  
  
*My daddy and the other Sneazels don't like the Houndor's...* Sneazel added, *but I don't  
know why. He's a nice friend, but daddy didn't want me to be with him. He said that his kind were  
bad and they'd take everything from us.*  
  
*Daddy? Is he the one down by the big rock?* Furret let her go so she could go look in   
the valley.  
  
*That's Daddy! Daddy! I'm O.K.!* she yelled down. They didn't react in the valley. We were  
probably too high up for them to hear us.  
  
*My parents say that they need the land to survive, but I'm confused.* the little Houndor  
said. *This is a big forest. Why can't we share?*  
  
*I don't know...* Furret said. Totodile, seeing now that these two weren't going anywhere,  
let Houndor go.  
  
*Mr. Raichu, why can't they share?* Sneazel asked, giving up trying to call down.  
  
*I'm not sure. Sometimes older people make up their minds about things and don't want to  
change them, even if it's wrong. I really can't explain it.*  
  
We stood around in silence, trying to figure out what to do. We all watched the actions in  
the valley. I tried to figure out how to get the six giant blocks of ice away from the Sneazels   
and free my friends held inside. Well, maybe Houndor could melt the ice...but then I'd still have  
to get them out the valley in the first place...  
  
*Oh no!* Sneazel cried out. *Daddy, don't go!*  
  
*What's going on?* The lead Sneazel down below had gotten together all the other Sneazels,  
and they were now marching out of the valley in the direction of the Houndor's.  
  
*The battle will soon began, and our victory will follow!* cried the lead Sneazel as they  
continued marching on.  
  
*Ms. Furret, Mr. Totodile, Mr. Raichu, you have to stop them!* Houndor said, looking at  
all of us.  
  
*Us? Why us?* Totodile asked with a hint of alarm in his voice.  
  
*Your big Pokemon. Our parents will listen to you. We're too little to do anything.*  
  
*Oh...* I looked down in the valley. Our friends weren't being gaurded anymore...but   
Houndor and Sneazel were looking right at me, and while they may have been both dark-types who  
usually aren't so nice, the looks they gave me broke my Raichu heart.  
  
*O.K., we'll stop them.*  
  
*WHAT?!* Furret looked at me like I was nuts. *How are we going to stop all of them?!*  
  
*I'm not quite sure, but we need to make sure they don't have the chance to attack! Come  
on!*  
  
We all ran as fast as possible to get ahead of the Sneazels. For what felt like an hour  
we ran, trying to call to them to stop. Our voices were lost with their own shouting and talking.  
There was no way they heard anything we said.  
  
Finally, atop a large hill, the group of Sneazels stopped. We had ended up at the bottom  
of the hill, but still our voices didn't reach them. Then Furret saw why they'd stopped.  
  
The Houndor's, with the lead Houndoom, were standing across on another hill, all of them  
watching the Sneazels. They all looked like armies, staring down their oppenents before the battle  
began. It looked like something out of a movie.  
  
Then it happened. The Sneazels charged down the hill toward the Houndor's, and the Houndor's  
charged down to them. Both armies were lead by their leaders; the large Sneazel and the Houndoom.  
The battle had begun!  
  
*NO!* Houndor yelled. *Stop! Don't fight!*  
  
We had to do something, fast! Maybe if we had some sort of peace sign...but what? What  
would two races of Pokemon recognize as a symbol of peace?  
  
I glanced back over at Sneazel and Houndor, who looked on at the charging armies with horror.  
They looked kinda cute together at first, but now they were scared and saddened. The armies had  
maybe twenty seconds before they met, and then...that's it!  
  
*Bite me.*  
  
*What?! Dan, even I know that's bad human language!* Furret said, shocked.  
  
*I mean it!* I looked over at Sneazel and Houndor. *Bite my tail!*  
  
The two of them seemed confused, but they must have noticed the urgency in my voice. They  
leapt and latched on to my tail while I tried not to scream. Oh man, if this didn't work...  
  
*Hang on!* I ran in between the two hills, right in between the charging Pokemon while  
dragging along Sneazel and Houndor.  
  
*OW!OW!OW!OW!OW!OW!OW!OW!OW!OW!OW!OW!OW!OW!* I yelled as loud as I could, waving my arms  
about and basically causing a scene. *Bad Houndor! Bad Sneazel! OW!OW!OW!*  
  
*You foolish Raichu! Are you tryi...HALT!* Houndoom started to yell at me, then must have  
noticed the Houndor attached to my tail. At the mention of "HALT!", all the Houndors stopped dead  
in their tracks.  
  
*What? Daughter! STOP!* The lead Sneazel also ordered its kind to stop. Yes! It worked...  
for now.  
  
*Guys, let go!* I yelped. They stopped biting and I repeated my attempts to soothe my  
damaged tail.  
  
*Son! Where have you been?* the Houndoom said as it ran over to the little Houndor.  
  
*Daughter! You had us all worried!* The lead Sneazel ran over to his daughter.  
  
The two leaders were within a few feet of each other, worried more about their children than  
their oppenents. After a few seconds, though, they realized how close they were to one another.  
Houndoom began to growl and bare its teeth while Sneazel hissed and held out his claws so they were  
pointed forward.  
  
*Why did you kidnap my son?!* the Houndoom accused of the Sneazel.  
  
*Me? You're the one who stole my daughter!* Sneazel shot back.  
  
*Guys, no one stole anyones kids!* I said, stepping in between the two tense Pokemon. *They  
ran away on their own!*  
  
*What?! Get out of the way, rat. I won't be held responsible for what happens if you stand  
in my way!* Houndoom warned.  
  
*For once, I agree with them.* Sneazel threatened. *This is not your place to interfere!*  
  
*Can't we just settle this like dignifed Pokemon?* I suggested cautiously, still unmoving.  
  
*NO!* both of them said in perfect usion.  
  
*Come on, the forest is huge! Why can't you share it?*  
  
*Share? They wouldn't share a Berry with us!* Houndoom said matter of factly.  
  
*They've already taken over half the forest! What's to stop them from taking the other half?*  
Sneazel said with a hiss.  
  
Oh man, this looks real bad. If I didn't settle this quick, they were gonna attack again,  
and I'd be right in the middle of it! What am I gonna do...  
  
Rumble!  
  
Everyone looked to see where this new sound came from. It happened again, and then we found  
the source.  
  
*I'm hungry...* the little Sneazel said, clutching at its stomach.  
  
*Me too...* the little Houndor agreed. He walked over to a nearby apple tree and looked at  
one of the bigger apples. Soon, he shot an Ember at the stem. The little fireball easily burnt  
through the stem, and the apple fell to the ground. Houndor nudged over the fallen apple with his  
muzzle toward the little Sneazel. When it was close to her...  
  
SLASH!  
  
The Houndoom started toward its son, but it wasn't Houndor who was slashed. Sneazel cut  
the apple into two perfect halves, which fell away from each other. Sneazel picked up one and began  
to eat, and Houndor began to chow down on the other one.  
  
I looked around at all the other Pokemon. They all just stood their with the most shocked  
looks on their faces. What they just saw seemed totally impossible to them. A Sneazel and a Houndor  
working together? They couldn't believe it.  
  
*See?* I pointed out. *Your kids can work together. Why can't you?*  
  
No one said anything for a minute. Maybe they were realizing how dumb they'd been. No one  
said another word till both Sneazel and Houndor were done eating. Finally, Houndoom spoke up.  
  
*Prehaps...we've been a bit greedy...*  
  
*We could give you a little space...* the lead Sneazel admitted.  
  
Slowly at first, all the Houndors and Sneazels joined together, talking and following the  
kids example. After a while, they were all chatting like they were good friends.  
  
The other Pokemon joined us, and we got lost in the conversations and apple-eating. It was  
almost sunrise when it occured to me about the others. I asked the lead Sneazel if he could release  
everyone. As a token of thanks to me, he agreed, and the Houndoom offered to melt the ice for me.  
  
We went into the Sneazel valley, and Houndoom and the Houndor's went to work melting the  
ice. They freed Sara first, and naturally, she was scared. She was about to attack the Sneazels  
when I got to her and convinced her everything was O.K.(She later apoligized for burning the tent.  
Apparently, while she was changing into a Vulpix, she tried to spit an Ember at a Sneazel, but  
missed and ended up hitting the tent, causing it to catch fire.)  
  
*Where'd did your trainer get that Pokemon?* Sneazel asked, looking at Vaporeon just before  
they thawed him out.  
  
*Uh...don't know. He caught him before me.* I lied.  
  
*Oh...Where is your trainer anyway?*  
  
*Probably...hiding. He's a smart kid, but he's a bit of a scaredy Meowth.*  
  
Finally, everyone was thawed out, and while they weren't too happy about being frozen solid,  
they just wanted to get out of here. So did I, to be honest.  
  
We were just about to leave when the little Sneazel and Houndor came over to me. Sneazel  
whispered something into my ear.  
  
*Guys...* I moaned. They looked hurt. Oh well, one last time couldn't hurt...  
  
*Alright...* I stood with my back to them, tail held out.  
  
CHOMP!  
  
CHOMP!  
  
*OW!*  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Hope you enjoyed it! Sorry if it's a bit late. The next chapter might be a bit late as well, but  
that's because I'll be working on my new fic, so try not to get too upset. Keep your eyes open for  
it!  
  
Once again, I have a small bit from the 8-bit theater at nuklearpower.com  
  
(Theif, Fighter, White Mage, Red Mage, Black Mage are all about to apply for the Light Warrior job.  
However, only four can apply.)  
  
Note: None of the following statments apply to me. Well...maybe the saving throw thing.  
  
R.M.: All right, we need to reduce our number by one.  
  
W.M.: We'll have to do the adult thing...  
  
R.M.: Lie about our saving throws?  
  
Thief: Steal from the elderly because they can't defend themselves?  
  
B.M.: Nuke an entire town with a spell, blame it on Fighter, and run like heck?  
  
Fighter: I knew that was you! I don't even know any magic!  
  
W.M.(to herself): I think I'm gonna vote myself out... 


	18. Clear as Water

O.K., time to get back to work here. I hope you all enjoyed my new fic, "Intertwine Dreams." If you  
haven't read it yet, why are you here?! You can read this later. Go read it now!(Unless your under   
thirteen). When you get back, enjoy this wholesome Chp. 18. I would also like to thank everyone  
once again who has read and reviewed my stories, sending me comments and the like. Thanks for  
your support! I'd also like to thank Yoshiman128 for the great picture he drew of Dan. Keep up the  
great work!  
  
Note: Chp. 18 is from Vaporeon's POV. Also, the title of the chapter probably doesn't make a lot  
of sense. Sorry, but I didn't know what else to write!  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Chp. 18- Clear as Water  
  
"Here it is, Lavander Town!"  
  
I looked up at the sign from the ground. I assume Dan was right, but I couldn't understand  
what it said myself. We were hidden off in the trees so the humans wouldn't see us.  
  
"That's great...what now?" Sara asked.  
  
"We go into the town!" Dan said like it should've been obvious.  
  
"What about Vaporeon? Sure, we can go human and rush in, but what about him?" Sara pointed  
out, looking down at me.  
  
"Vaporeon?" I agreed. *How do I get in?*  
  
"Hmm..." He seemed to be thinking about what we could do. He didn't suggest a Poke'Ball,  
which I wouldn't have agreed to anyway. I've never really liked those things.   
  
"I got it!" Dan explained his plan to us. Sara said it never work, and I didn't understand  
exactly what he wanted to do, but he seemed to think it'd work.  
  
I was nervous about walking into the town with the others the way I looked, but with all  
the people staring at us as we walked through the town, Dan didn't seem too worried.   
  
We stopped on a street corner after about five minutes of walking. A lot of people had  
gathered to see what we were doing. Dan seemed to be ready for this, as he turned to face the   
crowd of humans that were watching us.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced as Sara released her Poke'mon who weren't already out   
while I stood behind her, trying to decide what we were doing. "welcome to our magic show! I see many  
of you are intrested in our costumes. Thank you for taking intrest in them. However, we must assure  
you that no matter what you see us do or how we act, these are in fact just costumes, and we are  
in fact just actors."  
  
For the next hour, we performed, 'magic'. Sara coughed up fireballs, Dan made rings of  
electricity, and I did various tricks with water. The Poke'mon helped out with the show, often  
having to be told by thier trainers what to do right before they did it. There was one thing we   
did that really caught the attention of the crowd. Sara made fireballs and spit them down the   
sidewalk while I stood about fifty feet away, shooting them down before they passed me. By the   
time we were done, the crowd was clapping happily.  
  
While the others were thanking the people who had watched us, I noticed a little girl who  
had joined the crowd. She looked different from the other humans, though. Her clothes looked very  
old and dirty, and she didn't look as clean as the other humans altogether. I also noticed that,  
unlike all the other small humans in the crowd, she didn't seem to be with any of the older humans.  
  
Sara and Dan spoke with some of the people when most of them left. A few tried to speak to  
me, but they quickly learned I didn't speak English. The others were asked why I didn't speak  
English, and why they spoke part Poke'mon.(I'm writing this all in my language. You may think it's  
English, but trust me, it's not.) They explained that they did it as part of, "staying in character",  
and that I, "had problems". I was offended by this, but Sara said that was just so other people  
didn't get suspicous. I still wasn't happy, but I understood.  
  
Before we left to find a hotel, I looked around for the small human girl. I could barely  
see her well down the street, staring at me around the corner of a building. She was just a human,  
but something about her...I don't know what exacty it was I felt, but it felt familiar somehow.  
That wouldn't have bothered me so much, except that even during the show, she'd been looking at me  
and only me. It's like she didn't even notice the others.  
  
Once all the people had left, we quickly found a hotel and got a room for all of us. We  
stayed in the room for the rest of the day. The others trained their Poke'mon, while I practiced  
with my reading and writing. I was confused by why there are two ways to write a letter. I mean,  
there's, "a", and then there's, "A". Why did there have to be two forms of letters?  
  
We slept in the room for the night, and I woke up late the next morning. The others left   
before I fully woke up, but they woke me earlier to tell me they were going down to the Poke'mon   
Center. I was too sleepy at the time to really care. I just nodded and went back to sleep. I watched   
T.V. till the others came back. I don't know why, but something about television...it's like once   
you start watching, you can't stop. By the time the others had returned, it was already late in the  
afternoon, and they were in their human forms.  
  
"Geez, I can't believe there's a new strain of flu running around..." Sara said to Dan as  
they walked in.  
  
"Yeah, and I hate shots! Still, if it's really contagious, I guess...oh, hey Vaporeon!"  
Dan said, seeing I was now awake.  
  
"Vaporeon, Eon?" *What's this about a flu?*  
  
"Vaporeon...please don't be offended by this, but there's a flu going around, one that  
affects both humans and Poke'mon, and, well..." Dan started to trail off.  
  
"What he's trying to say," Sara continued, "is that we can't get you vaccinated."  
  
"Vaporeon?" I said, confused. *Vaccinated?"  
  
"Do you understand?" Dan asked. I shook my head. "It means...while we normal could prevent  
you from getting it, we can't now."  
  
"Vap?!" *Why?!*  
  
"We're sorry, Vaporeon, but if you're stuck like that, we can't risk people seeing you like  
that all the time." Sara said with a hurt look on her face. "As it was, we had to hide in an alley  
for hours when we had to go back to being Hybrids again."  
  
I couldn't believe this! They were really going to let me get sick just because people   
would stare at me?! This was injustice! This was wrong!  
  
I left it at that, but was still very sore toward the others. They put something in one of  
the fins on my head, but I didn't listen to them when they told me what it was. It hurt a lot,  
which didn't help my mood at all. They ordered dinner, but I wasn't in much of a mood to eat.  
In the end, they had to save my meal for me.  
  
We went to sleep, though I still was very mad. Great, I thought. This can't get any worse.  
Dan and Sara are too worried about themselves to care about me, I'm probably going to be sick, and  
there's nothing I can do! I tossed and turned on the cot that had been bought in for me, but it  
squeaked horribly, and I couldn't sleep. What else could go wrong?  
  
"Raiiiii..."  
  
"Vap?" *Dan?* It sounded like he was moaning in his sleep.  
  
"RAAAIIII..."  
  
"Vap? Vap!" *Dan? Dan!*   
  
Suddenly he leapt up on all fours, like a Persian who had just heard someone approaching.  
He looked around quickly, then saw me. What was he...  
  
CRACK! SNAP! WHAM!  
  
Something moved from Dan, so fast I didn't see it. One of the supports for my cot suddenly  
was sliced in half, causing the cot to fall over and me to hit the floor.  
  
"Vap! Eon Eon Vapor?!" I said, rolling back to my feet. *Dan! What'd you just do?!"  
  
He said nothing. He just crawled down onto the floor and turned to face me. That's when I  
knew something was wrong.  
  
His eyes were glowing bright red, like something out of a horror tale. The look on his face  
was anger, hatred. That wasn't the big tip off, though. Somehow, his tail had grown from being over  
six feet long to being at least 15 feet long! He held it above him, the tip of it hanging above his  
head. The lightining bolt tip suddenly looked very sharp and pointy, more than sharp enough to cut  
through the wooden support of the cot.  
  
"Vaaaapppp..." I said worriedly, backing away toward Sara. *Daaaannnn...*  
  
The tail lashed forward again, and I barely kept my head from being cut off. There was a  
searing pain down my back as the tail cut through my skin. It finally got stuck in the wall behind   
me.  
  
"Vapor! Vapor! Vaporeon!" I yelled through gritted teeth. *Sara! Sara! Wake up!*  
  
Sara slowly stirred, but some of the other Poke'mon were up before her. They too looked  
around in confusion, but their eyes also glowed the same way Dan's did. Right now, Dan was trying  
to pull his tail out of the wall.  
  
Finally Sara started to get up. I couldn't see anything different about her, now that she  
was in her Hybrid form. Maybe she was alright!  
  
"Vapor! Vap Eon, Vaporeon Vaporeon Vap Vap Eon!" I said frantically, looking at the Poke'mon  
as they slowly started toward me. Unlike Dan, though, they didn't have any physical changes beyond  
their eyes. *Sara! Dan and the Poke'mon have something wrong with them!*  
  
"Vulll..."  
  
"Vapor? Va...Eon..." *Sara? Wha...no...* Sara turned to look at me, and I realized that she  
too had changed. Her eyes were glowing as well, but her teeth had grown so large, they didn't even  
fit in her muzzle anymore.  
  
Something was really wrong. Everyone was trying to hurt me! Bulbasaur suddenly launched a  
Razor Leaf at me, but I ducked under it. It crashed harmlessly into the wall next to Dan, who   
almost had his tail free.  
  
Looking around quickly, I saw the door to the room was open just a crack. I could get it  
open the rest of the way with a little bit of work, but I'd have to go by everyone else, who looked  
very unhappy with me at the moment. Still, if I stayed where I was, I wouldn't have to worry about  
being put in a ball again. There probably wouldn't be enough left of me to put in a ball, even without  
the energy transfer!  
  
I ran over Dan, who had just pulled his tail out of the wall, and by the Poke'mon, though  
Furret swiped me with her claws pretty good. I quickly nosed open the door and started to run down  
the hall, but stopped when I saw what was happening.  
  
Pokemon of all sorts were loose in the hall, attacking and hurting one another. The humans  
did nothing to stop this. In fact, a whole bunch of humans were cowering in one corner of the hall,  
shaking like they were all hit with Earthquake attacks. Most of them were clutching to one another  
as they shook.  
  
Realizing the others were still behind me, I ran down the hall toward the exit, which was  
in the same direction as in the cowering humans. It was easy to run around the Poke'mon; they were  
too busy fighting each other to notice me.  
  
"St...Stay away!" one of the humans yelled as I came in their direction.  
  
"Eon, Vap Vaporeon." I tried to tell them, taking a step toward. *I'm not here to hurt   
you.*  
  
The humans as a group let out a scream, which hurt my ears. Confused and worried about   
being pursued by the others, I left them to their fear. I quickly ran out through the front doors  
of the hotel into the street.  
  
"Vaporeon, Vap Vap?..." *What's going on this town?...*  
  
The streets were pure chaos! Humans were watching like total cowards as Poke'mon violently  
battled one another. Some even fought Poke'mon as they laid on the ground, totally unable to defend  
themselves. Something was seriously wrong here!  
  
I ran down the road, but where would I go? A sharp pain rose from my back from being cut  
with Dan's tail. The wound was only skin deep, but it still hurt a lot.Maybe I should go to the  
Poke'mon Center. It was probably one of the safest places to go, and they could heal my wounds.  
I only had one problem...where was the Poke'mon Center?  
  
A Pidgey was suddenly knocked in front of me by a Geodude, who seemed to lose intrest in  
the bird Poke'mon now that it saw me. It tried to Tackle me, but I shot a Ice Beam at it before it  
even got within twenty feet. While the Geodude learned how to be an ice cube, I moved down the  
street, hoping to find the Poke'mon Center somewhere.  
  
I was able to avoid most of the violent Poke'mon, and the few that I did have to fight I  
just blasted with a Water Gun or Ice Beam and moved on while they recovered. I couldn't help but  
wonder exactly why all these Poke'mon and humans were acting so strangely, and yet I wasn't. It's  
like a disease on the rampage, but why would I be invunerable? I was the one who got left out of  
getting my shots today. You'd think of anyone, I'd be the most likely one to...  
  
"AHHHH!"  
  
A human suddenly turned a corner ahead of me, running in my direction. I thought she was  
just scared like all the other humans, till I saw the six Pidgeotto's flying after her. Even if I  
didn't know this human, I still felt like I should help.   
  
"Vap!" I yelled before shooting off another Ice Beam. It was one of the longest beams I'd  
ever had to make. The Pidgeotto's were so close together, the Ice Beam got them all in one shot.  
By the time the last one had been encased in ice, I was worn out. Unlike what most people think,  
it takes a lot of energy to use those kind of attacks. With normal rest and food, I could do Ice  
Beams and Water Guns all day, but I hadn't eaten most of dinner, and I was starting to wear down.  
  
"Thank you for helping m..." The person I saved started to say, but before I could recongnize  
them, they'd knelt down and thrown their arms around my neck. "Brother! Where have you been?!"  
  
"Vaporeon?" *Brother?* I broke away from the person and slowly backed away. It was that  
little human girl from the magic show. She looked the same, maybe even a little dirtier than before,  
it that was even possible.  
  
"Brother? Don't you recongnize me?" the human said, confused.  
  
"Vap, Vaporeon!" *I'm not your brother!*  
  
"Of course you're my brother. You may not look like it, but I can sense your human spirit."  
  
"Vaporeon?" *Human spirit?* What was this human talking about? She was nuts!  
  
"You truly believe your not my brother, do you?" I nodded. "But...how could this happen?  
Please, whoever you are, maybe I see something?"  
  
"Eon..." *Sure...* I'd do almost anything to get away from this creepy little girl. She  
slowly approached me, then placed a hand on my head. I started to feel kinda lightheaded and sick.  
What was she doing to me?  
  
"Oh..." The girl removed her hand and looked at me. I thought I saw a tear in her eye, but  
she wiped it away before I could see.  
  
"Vaporeon...you're not my brother..."  
  
"Vapor!" *Thank you!*  
  
"...but my brothers spirit is definitly in you. It's been...subdued somehow. He can hear  
me and see what's going on, but he has no control over it. It's you, the Poke'mon, who have all the  
control."  
  
"Eon, Vap Vapor Eon Eon." *That makes absolutely NO sense!*  
  
"It may not make sense to you, but it's the truth."  
  
"Vapo...Eon. Vaporeon, Vapor?!" *If yo...wait. You've understood everything I said?!* She  
nodded. "Vaporeon?!" *But how?!*  
  
"Well, like my brother, I'm psyhic. I'm simply reading your thoughts."  
  
I didn't say anything for a minute. I was still way too confused as to what was going on.  
How could a human spirit be inside me? I was born a Poke'mon!   
  
I tried to recall anything that could've happened that maybe would've led up to this, but  
like always, my memory hit a blank. All I remember are these horrible dreams where the little girl,  
the one who's been chasing me, is laughing hysterically while I see another girl screaming in pain   
and glowing bright blue. I try to help her, but I always get knocked away by some invisble force. I  
saw something...I know I saw something that could stop her...except I can't remember what it was.  
All I know for sure was that it was bad, and if someone else learned, they were in very deep   
trouble.  
  
And yet...there were other things I couldn't explain. If I didn't want to get anyone else  
involved, why did I try to take Dan's towel and get him to notice me? Why did I stay with him and the   
others, even though they treated me badly? Why was I still here? Why didn't I just leave them all   
behind and get away while I still had the chance?  
  
"Brot...Vaporeon," the little girl corrected herself, "you've been hurt. We should get you  
to the Poke'mon Center. They can help you, and it's probably the safest place to be right now."  
  
"Vaporeon Vapor, Eon Vapor." I agreed. *First thing you've said all night that made sense.*  
  
We stuck together as we made our way to the Poke'mon Center. She took the lead, obviously  
knowing where to go, but I was almost right next to her in case anything else tried to attack us.  
We were able to avoid anymore attacks, and soon found the Poke'mon Center. Everything looked normal  
as we went in, but I couldn't help but notice the odd van parked outside the building. Karen(that  
was her name) told me it was from Parasol Inc. I'd never heard of them, but I don't know a lot  
about humans and their buissnesses. Karen said she'd never heard of them either, though.  
  
All the lights were on in the Center as we walked in. It didn't looked trashed or damaged  
in anyway. Actually, it looked kind of inviting. Maybe this was the right place to go to after all.  
  
"Vapor? Vaporeon?" I called out as we walked in. *Hello? Anyone around?*  
  
No one answered us. We slowly walked in together, ready in case anything tried to jump out  
at us. Despite the fact that all the lights were on and the Center looked fine, something felt wrong  
here. We moved behind the main desk as we looked around for somebody. It was quiet...too quiet.   
  
"AH!"  
  
So much for the silence. We turned to look behind us to find the screamer. It was one of  
the many Nurse Joy's. She was under the main desk, shaking like all the other humans.  
  
"Joy? Joy?" Karen asked, sliding down next to her. "What's going on?"  
  
Joy was too busy shaking to say anything. She looked like she'd seen a ghost. What was  
happening to everyone here?  
  
"Is that the last of them?"  
  
A new, rougher voice called out of nowhere. All of us crammed in under the desk and looked  
around the corner to see who this person was. Two men came out of a room just to the side of the  
desk. One was a man dressed in black, and the other was a woman in white. Both of them had a red,   
"R" on the front of the shirts. Each of them held what looked like a large gun, and they wore  
straps across their shirts that had odd ball shaped items straped to them. The man also had a large  
bag that was bulging full of something.  
  
"Yeah, that should be all of them." the woman replied, looking around. "Come on, let's get  
out of here and get some more ammo. I'm almost out."  
  
"Alright. I used up a lot myself." The two of them proceeded out the main door of the  
Center.   
  
"Eon, Vap...Vapor!" *What was...Karen!*   
  
Karen had moved out and started to follow those people out. She slowly opened the Center's  
doors, then proceeded out. I chased after her, wondering what she was trying to do.  
  
By the time I got outside, I saw Karen open the back door of the van parked outside, then  
try to climb in. The van seemed to have problems starting. If I hurried, I could still get Karen  
out of there. I ran over to the van just as Karen made it in. Before I could even think about what  
I was doing, I'd hopped in with her.  
  
"Vap Vaporeon?!" I exclaimed. *What are you doing?!*   
  
"Shh!" she hushed, closing the back door. "This is Team Rocket! If they're involved in this,  
maybe we can find something to stop all this!"  
  
"Vaporeon!" *You're insane!*   
  
"Did you just feel something?" the woman up front asked the man next to her.   
  
"It was probably this stupid van. When we get our raise, we should ask for a new one..."  
the man said.  
  
The van soon started up, and we were off to wherever we were being taken. I really wasn't  
in the mood to talk, but the girl seemed to want to talk. We spoke quietly, as not to be overheard.  
  
"Vaporeon...how did you come to be combined with my brothers spirit?"  
  
"Vaporeon..." *I don't know...*  
  
"You don't?...Oh, I see. Your memory has been damaged in that particular area."  
  
As we spoke, I couldn't help but feel concerned for this humans safety. I mean, I never  
want anyone to get hurt in the first place, but something inside me...I'm not sure. It's like I  
felt I had to protect her at all costs. Was it because I really cared about her, or was it because  
she was right? Did I really have her brother's spirit somewhere inside of me, and somehow it was  
influencing my thoughts toward Karen?  
  
I asked Karen why she was dressed the way she was. Her response was that they were all  
she could get out on the streets. Then I asked why she lived out on the streets in the first place.  
  
"I...my parents are both gone. Mom died of cancer, and Dad was killed in a car accident.  
They were both great psyhics, and always encouraged my brother and me to practice our powers, but  
not use them openly. After they passed away, I hoped one of our realitives would take me in. You  
had left us a while ago, but Mom and Dad never told me where, and I haven't developed my mind   
enough on my own to find out. The rest of the family...they wanted nothing to do with me. Mom and  
Dad never made wills for anyone to take care of me, and since we were the only psyhics in the  
family, they were scared and left me out in the cold. That was two years ago. Since then, I've been  
trying to find you...my brother...and get back together with him."  
  
I was shocked. Her parents were gone, and no one else wanted to take care of her? What about  
her brother? Why didn't he take care of her?   
  
The van soon stopped, and the man and woman got out of the van. As soon as they opened the  
door, I knocked them into a wall with a Water Gun. They laid against it, wet and not moving. I   
must've knocked them out.  
  
"Wait a minute..." Karen went to the bag that was in the front and dumped out it's   
contents.  
  
"Vaporeon?" *Poke'balls?* There must've been hundreds of them! They must've been taken out  
of the Center. Still, if any of those Poke'mon had been loose, how did those two stop them?  
  
"What are these?" Karen tried to pick up one of the guns, but it was too heavy for her and  
she dropped it. When it hit the ground, something shot of the muzzle and exploded in a white cloud  
quite a distance away.  
  
We were in a garage, but there was no where to go except for a platform nearby. Karen went  
over to it and pushed a button, then the platform started to move down.  
  
"Vapor!" *Karen!* I ran over and quickly leapt down onto the platform before it got too   
far away. We slowly descended down, but I hoped we wouldn't have to fight anyone or anything. That  
last Water Gun really took a lot, and I was running on empty with energy.  
  
When we hit the bottom, we were both in shock. Ahead of us was a giant vat containing some  
kind of white gas, much like the one that came out of that gun before. There were some computer   
consoles surrounding the big vat, but that was about it. We couldn't see or hear anyone else.  
  
We slowly apporached the giant vat, and Karen turned on one of the computers while I kept  
on watch for anymore of Team Rocket. She must've been very skilled with a computer; her fingers  
flew around with great speed. After a minute, Karen suddenly gasped in shock.   
  
"Vaporeon Eon?" *What is it?*  
  
"It was all a plot!" she exclaimed.   
  
Karen quickly explained what she meant. The, "flu" shots that had been given out were in  
fact some sort of emotion controlling drug. When given to humans, it increased their fear levels  
to a point where they were too scared to even move. In Poke'mon, it made them grow violent and  
dangerous. There was no flu at all; it was all just a plot by Team Rocket. The computer didn't  
explain what the plot was, but Karen did. She thought that while most humans were in total fear,  
Team Rocket went around and gathered up the Poke'mon and stole them!  
  
"Vap Vap, Vapor Eon Eon Vaporeon?" *How'd they get the Poke'mon to stop attacking?*  
  
"I'm not sure...here it is! It's...this stuff." Karen pointed to the big vat. "It's   
supposed to be the anidote for the drug, mixed with Sleep Powder. That's how they caught them!"  
  
Well, that explained a lot. It must have had some weird side effects on Dan and Sara, why  
I didn't know. Now we had to get this stuff to everyo...  
  
"Poke'ball, GO!"  
  
"Vap? VAP!" *What? NO!* A Rocket had appeared from a side door, but by the time I saw him,  
the Poke'ball he'd thrown was just inches from me! I had no time to dodge it!  
  
I closed my eyes and braced for the energy transfer. The ball hit me in the face...and then  
nothing.   
  
"Vap?" *Huh?* I looked down at the ball now sitting harmlessly on the ground. What happened?  
I should've been sucked right in! I mean, I glad I wasn't, but why not?  
  
The Rocket seemed as confused as I was. He threw four Poke'balls at me, but nothing happened  
when they hit me. Either all his Poke'Balls were broken, or something else was going on here.  
  
"Vaporeon!" Karen yelled, looking at all the action. I heard a, "CLICK!", then a message  
was suddenly played throughout the facility.  
  
"THE SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE HAS BEEN ACTIVATED! THIS CANNOT BE ABORTED! SELF DENTENATION  
WILL BEGIN IN FIVE MINUTES!"  
  
"Oops..." Karen said, looking back at the panel.  
  
"You fool!" The Rocket yelped. "You're gonna fry us all!" He reached to his belt and pulled  
out what looked like another Poke'ball. It was painted all weird, and there was something else odd  
about it, but I couldn't really tell what it was. "Go, Seel!"  
  
When the creature came out, I was expecting a Poke'mon. Instead, at first I thought I was  
looking at a human. The body and head was that of a human girl except for the small horn coming out   
of her head and was maybe about Dans or Saras age. Her arms, though, were very short, and instead of   
hands, she had the paws of a Seel. She was all a snow white color, even her hair. She only wore a blue   
tank top, but that was because her body from the waist down was the same as a Seel's! Standing up on   
her tail, I guessed her height to be about five feet.   
  
"Vapor!" *A Hybrid!*  
  
"Seel, these people are trying to escape! Stop them!" the Rocket ordered before running off  
through the door which he'd come through.  
  
"Vaporeon, Vap...EON!" *Yeah, like she's...OW!* I was sure she wouldn't attack. After all,  
she was a Hybrid, and Hybrids didn't listen to humans. Of course I wasn't ready when the Seel Hybrid  
suddenly sprung toward me, nailing me with a Headbutt. I stumbled back, having just been avoided  
being stabbed with her horn.  
  
"Vaporeon! Seel! Stop!" Karen tried in vain to hold back the Seel. It just knocked her away  
and sprung at me again. I leapt to the side, letting the Seel slide past me and into a wall.  
  
"Eon, Vaporeon?" I asked as the Hybrid recovered and turned around. *Why are you doing this?*  
  
"Because Master ordered it." was the monotone, emotionless response. She turned her head  
so her horn faced me, like she was aiming it. Soon water was shooting out from the tip toward me. It   
hit me with a lot more force than I expected, and knocked me back into the vat before I slowly slid   
down.  
  
"Vap..." I moaned in pain. I slowly got to my feet and tried to counter with a Water Gun of  
my own, but I was too weak. I had no energy left to fight. If this kept up, I was as good as gone.  
  
"Vaporeon!" Karen called out. I turned painfully to see Karen by another door. "Come on!  
Your not strong enough to fight!"  
  
"Vapor..." *Coming...* I moved as fast as I could toward Karen, barely avoiding an Ice  
Beam. Karen pushed a button and opened the double metal doors, going through and closing them  
behind me as I made my way through. As soon as the door closed, there was a loud, "WHAM!" from the  
other side, and the metal was starting to become dented.   
  
"Over there!" Karen pointed over to an elevator at the end of the hall. Finally, a way out!  
Karen pushed a button on the panel outside of the elevator and the door opened. I went in as the  
metal doors continued to get dented. Karen just got in as the doors gave way to the pounding of the  
Seel Hybrid.  
  
"I have to help her!"  
  
"Vaporeon?!" *Are you nuts?!"*  
  
"She doesn't deserve to die in here. No one does!" Karen closed her eyes and put a hand  
toward the charging Hybrid. Just as the doors of the elevator closed, the Hybrid dissappeared in  
a puff of smoke.  
  
"Vapore...Vapor!" *How did...Karen!* She suddenly collapsed on the ground as the elevator  
slowly went up. She tried to get up, but fell back down again.  
  
"I...teleported her away." she gasped. "I...had to use...a lot of energy...she truly...  
didn't want...to leave..."  
  
"Vaa..." *Shh...* We went up for what seemed like forever. When the elevator finally  
stopped, the announcement now said we only had two minutes to escape.  
  
"Vaporeon, Vapor Vaporeon." *We need to get out of here.* The doors opened to reveal an  
alleyway. This must've been some sort of secret escape route.   
  
"I can't...too weak..." she moaned, clearly struggling as she pulled herself up to a sitting  
position. "Go...I'll be fine..."  
  
"Vaporeon?! Vapor, Eon Vap Vap Eon!" *You'll be fine?! This place is going to explode!*  
  
"It's O.K..." she assured me with a small smile "I'll make it. You need to go."  
  
"Vaporeon!" *Not without you!*  
  
"GO!" she ordered.  
  
I was torn. I knew I had to get out, but I couldn't just leave her like this. Still, this  
place was going to go up soon. If I stayed, I'd be a goner. What was I going t...  
  
It's O.K. She'll be fine.  
  
"Vap?" That voice...where was it coming from?  
  
She's strong. She'll make it through.  
  
Who the heck was this person? How could they tell me what to do? And...why did I feel like  
they were right?  
  
I took one last, long look at Karen. My last words to her probably shocked me as much as  
it did her.  
  
"Vapor, Vapor." *Goodbye, sister.*  
  
I took off as fast as possible, trying my hardest not to think about her. If I did, I would  
be tempeted to go back and try to help her. I just kept running as fast as my weakened body would  
carry me, never looking back till I heard a giant explosion. I turned to see a giant building   
explode in a ball of flame, sending pieces of walls and glass all over the streets surrounding it.  
Soon, all that was left was a giant crater in the earth.  
  
I had run into a small park, which seemed to be free of any life, Poke'mon or human. What  
was I going to do now? The anidote been destroyed, and everyone is still out of control. What was  
I going to do? I had to...do something...but so...weak...  
  
Between injuries and weariness, I collapsed on the ground. The last thing I saw before  
everything went black was the white mist rising out of the remains of the building.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Vaporeon? Vaporeon! Wake Rai!"  
  
"Va...?" My eyes slowly opened. When my vision focused, I saw...DAN!  
  
"VAP!" I yelped, rolling off the bed. *AH!*  
  
"Vaporeon! It's O.K!" I picked myself up out of the bed and found myself back in the hotel  
room. Everything looked...normal.   
  
"Vaporeon, you're alright!" Sara said, kneeling down next to me. Her eyes weren't glowing...  
and her teeth looked straight.  
  
I looked and saw the Poke'mon had gathered around me. They too looked normal. Finally, I  
looked up at Dan. No glowing eyes...normal tail! Everything was normal again!  
  
"Vap...Vapor?" *What...happened?*  
  
"Vaporeon, what happened? All I remember is having this werid dream where I attacked you,  
and then you ran out. Did something bad happen?" Dan asked as I moved back onto the bed.  
  
I explained to them everything that had happened, but they didn't seem to get it. They  
said they found me in the park where I'd collapsed two days ago, and since then they'd been trying  
to get me up. They said it was almost impossible to sneak me back in; they had to bring all sorts  
of blankets and sheets from the hotel and wrap me in them before they carried me back in. The clerk  
at the desk said he'd never seen such a huge Poke'mon.  
  
"Vaporeon...we want to apoligize." Sara said when they were done explaining what happened  
to me. "We're sorry we couldn't take you with us to get the vaccine for that flu. It's no big deal  
now, but we know it must've been hard on you. We're sorry we had to leave you out like that. We  
promise to try and get you involved more often.  
  
"Vaporeon." I said with a nod. *I understand.* Sure, I felt bad about being left out,   
but I guess deep down, I knew they did it for a reason. I would've caused a lot of confusion and  
fear, and that would've put us all in a lot of danger. Maybe this is why I stay with them, I thought.  
Sure, I'm not treated the best I possibly could be, but I've been more respected by them than many  
others. Besides, Dan and Sara were the only ones like me. If I was going to get any help for   
everything that had been happening, I'd have to do it with them.  
  
"Vaporeon, do you still have that SafetyRod in?"  
  
"Vaporeon?" *Safety Rod?*  
  
"Yup, it's still there." Dan said, looking closely at one of the fins on my head. "Too bad  
they only protect from basic PokeBalls. Still, it's better than nothing. At least there's less of  
a chance we'll get captured."  
  
That's why those Poke'Balls the Rocket threw at me didn't work! I was protected by the Rod!  
Thinking of the Rocket reminded me of the Seel Hybrid. Why was she the way she was? She was in a  
ball, called that Rocket, "Master" and basically acted like a Poke'mon who'd been taught for years  
to follow orders, and nothing more. I couldn't believe she followed his orders, even when he would  
just leave her to die like that. If Karen hadn't teleported her out of there, goodness only knows  
what would've happened.  
  
Karen...was she alright? I never saw her get out of the explosion. There was no way she  
could've made it out on so little energy...but yet somehow I knew she was alright. She was still  
alive, far away somewhere where she'd be safe for a while. It didn't really make a lot of sense,  
but then again, neither did a lot of things.  
  
I laid down on the bed, exhausted both mentally and physically. Nothing else could possibly  
go wrong. The T.V. news told of the mysterious fog that had come out of a crater and somehow ended  
all the fear and violence when it was breathed in. Nothing else could happen...  
  
Then came the next day.  
  
"Sara!" Dan said, digging under his bed. "I've got something for you!"  
  
"You do?" Sara seemed surprised.  
  
"Well, you said before today you turned thirteen, so I got something for you." Dan pulled  
out a box wrapped in fancy paper, giving it to Sara.  
  
Sara undid the paper and opened the white box. She pulled out what I later learned was  
called a music box. It was pink with a gold trim. She opened the lid, and music played from it.  
  
"Happy Birthday!" Dan said with a smile. Something was wrong, though. Seeing the way Sara's  
eyes watered, it wasn't a very happy birthday for her. The look on Dans face changed to one of  
concern. "Sara? What's wrong?"  
  
Without warning, Sara dropped the box on the bed and took off out of the room in full blown  
tears. Everyone else was shocked by this, and it took a few seconds for us to recover.  
  
"Sara? Sara!" Dan yelled out, to no avail. "Bulbasaur, Furret, Nidoran, follow me!" With  
that, he took off after her, leaving me and Sara's Poke'mon to wonder what went wrong.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
I know it's delayed, and I'm truly sorry. Between the new story, limited computer time and the  
fact I'm tired a lot, I've had little time to work on this. I'll have out a new chapter for this  
sometime in early August. Intertwine Dreams should have another chapter within a week. Please,  
forgive my slacking off, and thank you for your continued support!   
  
Now that Family Guy, one of my favorite shows, is back on the air, I think we should celebrate with  
a little scene from it. (This paticular scene is rated PG, even if the show is rated TV-14.)  
  
(A random name is picked as a theme for the town parade. Peter's theme, a scene from "Who's the   
Boss?" is picked.)  
  
Peter: Yes, they picked mine! (Begins dancing around the room.)  
  
Lois: I'm glad they picked your topic, Peter, but don't you think it's a little esoteric?  
  
Peter: (stops dancing) Esoteric?  
  
(The scene shifts toward a conference room with the word, "esoteric" projected on a screen. The  
men seated around the table represent Peter's thoughts.)  
  
Man 1: Alright people, what does this mean?  
  
Man 2: Maybe it has something to do with literature?  
  
Man 3: It's a science term!  
  
Man 4: No, you're all wrong! It's has to do with food! It means delicious!  
  
(Back to Peter in living room.)  
  
Peter: Lois, "Who's the Boss" is not a food.  
  
Brain: Swing and a miss.  
  
(Ironically, esoteric means, "Little known idea.") 


	19. Digging Up the Past

Hey all! I figured it was time for me to get off my lazy butt and do something. Thank you readers  
for all the support I continue to get from you! For the older readers of this story, you'd might  
be interested in ChrisBradford's fic, "I, Flareon." It's not supposed to be for anyone under 18,  
but it's your own desicion if you do decide to look at it. It's linked to my other major fic,  
"Intertwine Dreams."  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chp. 19-Digging up the past  
  
  
  
  
Oh man, what'd I do? The music box should've been perfect(at least at what I paid for it),  
and instead, Sara just takes off in tears. What didn't she like? The music? The box itself?  
  
By the time I got outside, Sara was nowhere to be seen. A quick sniff of the air told my  
nose she'd went right, so knowing where she went wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunetly, I had   
another growing real quick.  
  
"Bulba!"  
  
"Not now, Bulbasaur!"  
  
"Bulba!"  
  
"Not NOW, Bulbasaur!"  
  
"BULBA!"  
  
"WHAT?!" I snapped, not really in the mood for this.  
  
"Bulbasaur..." Bulbasaur looked around at all the people who were now staring very oddly  
at me, and it just occured to me I'd run out into broad daylight without shifting forms or trying  
to cover up at all.  
  
"Rai...hello, everyone..." I said nervously, making sure I had Sara's scent right. "Chu  
may remember me from Rai magic show. Well, Rai...going to another job, so don't Raichu seeing me  
like this..."  
  
I tried to slowly proceed after Sara, not wanting to raise an alarm. The people nearby  
began to whisper amoungst themselves, which didn't help, especially since I could hear every word  
they said.  
  
"You know, I've never seen him outside that costume..."  
  
"That suit looks way too real..."  
  
"He kinda looks like that creature in Viridian from a few weeks ago..."  
  
That didn't bother me too much. However, there was one comment that made me reach for the  
others Poke Balls.  
  
"Maybe someone should call the police..."  
  
Knowing my luck with law enforcement was really bad, I wasn't about to take my chances.  
I dug out two Poke Balls, enlarged them and held one in each hand.  
  
"Bulbasaur, Nidoran, return!" I quickly recalled two of them, a pang of guilt hitting me  
as I watched them get sucked in. I felt bad, but this was an emergency. They'd understand. I  
immediatly took off after that, not bothering with Furret. She was the only one who had the speed  
to keep up with me in a full-blown run.  
  
Dashing through the people wasn't that hard. Most people got out of the way if they saw me,  
and if I didn't make them move, Furret did. I was surprised Sara had made it through so easily, as  
her scent kept going right through the center of town.  
  
As I ran about through the town, I recalled the phone call I'd made to Joy yesterday.   
Well...the Vermelion Joy, the Chansey Hybrid. I'd figured that country music store I'd found  
earlier would be the perfect spot to make a call; no one actually LIKES country music, and even  
the only employee behind the counter was sleeping on a cot. There was a little sign that said,  
"100% off sale", but the place was still full of CD's and tapes.  
  
Anyway, I asked Joy what the best gift would be for Sara. Joy suggested a Faberge egg; if  
Sara didn't like it, I could give it to her. After that, I asked Joy to try NOT to think like an  
egg obbsessed Chansey Hybrid. That's when she suggested the music box. After a little searching, I  
found a pawn shop that I'd found the box in. I paid for it and dropped it off at another store to  
have it wrapped. Trust me, the way I wrap things, you know it's from me automatically. All that  
work, and Sara just ran out in tears on me. What went wrong?  
  
"What the..." I thought I found out where Sara had run too...but why? I slowed down and  
gently pushed open the gate to Pokemon Tower. Yeah, she went this way alright, but why would she  
go to a cemeteary? Well, I know I don't exactly think straight when I'm upset. Maybe Sara did the  
same thing.  
  
"Furret..." Apperantly Furret didn't like cemetaries much either. I figured I'd better just  
find Sara and bail before the place got to me. Usually cemeataries aren't too bad, but a huge dark  
cloud covered up the sun as soon as I walked in the gates. That added to the creepiness factor.  
  
"Rai..." Sara couldn't have stayed outside; she ran inside the tower itself. Each step I  
took toward it added to the cold feeling that was going down my spine. I really didn't want to do  
this, but I knew I'd have to. Furret, however, was almost paralyzed with fear halfway to the tower.  
  
"Furret, do Rai wanna go back in Chu ball?" I asked. If she was gonna be like this the  
whole time, I didn't want to do this to her.  
  
"Fu...rret." she managed to get out, nodding. I recalled her, not feeling as bad as I   
usually do. At least she agreed to go. I thought about releasing the others, but decided against  
it. If Furret did that, I'm sure the others would have similar reactions.  
  
I opened the door to the tower, looking around. This seemed to be some kind of waiting area,  
why there was one here, I wasn't sure. There were various notices on a nearby board about recent  
losses and memories of those lost. It made me feel kinda sad, but I had a job to do. There was a  
staircase nearby that Sara's scent seemed to be going down.  
  
"Great..." This was one of the floor where the bodies were buried, juding by all the crosses   
sticking out of the earthen ground. There was a cement path that I stayed on, not wanting to   
disturb any of those resting around here. Knowing ghost-type Pokemon liked to hang around in places  
like this, I kept my eyes and ears open, but the place seemed oddly quiet.  
  
I dashed after Sara's scent trail, just wanting to find her and get out of here.   
Unfortunetly, she ran to one of the lowest levels in the place. I had to go down staircase after  
staircase to reach her. Finally, though, I found her on the second to last level. She was at the  
far end from the staircase I'd just taken down, kneeling down in front of a grave.  
  
"Sara! What's Rai?" I asked. She ignored me as she continued to do whatever she was doing.  
As I got closer, I could see her hands digging up the dirt of the grave. What was she doing?!  
Digging up graves, besides being disrespectful to the dead, is just plain creepy.  
  
I got within about fifty feet of her when it happened. A grey, shriveled hand reached out   
of the ground next to Sara, grabbing her leg. She screamed and tried to break it's hold as more  
and more hands burst out and started to drag her down into the dirt.  
  
"Sara!" I dashed over and grabbed her arms, trying to pull her up. For a couple of undead  
hands, these things were strong.   
  
"Dan! What are Vul doing here?!" Sara asked in confusion.  
  
"Rai should ask Chu the same thing!" The dirt was now up to her chest, my pulling doing  
little to halt the undead forces dragging her down.  
  
I struggled, realizing this was a losing battle. Now the dirt was up to the base of her  
neck...but now it seemed to just stop there. Her arms were still above the soil, but she appeared  
stuck. Even now, my efforts to free her were worthless.  
  
I finally gave up, trying to figure out what to do. Maybe I could dig her out, but I'd   
have to look around for a shovel or something. There was no way...  
  
BONK!  
  
"OW!" Something whacked me hard in the back of the head. I turned to find what had hit me,  
but found nothing. It was like something hit me from out of nowhere.  
  
"What is your purpose here?"   
  
I looked around for who said that, not sure what to expect. I thought maybe someone followed  
me down. As I quickly found out, that wasn't to be true.  
  
"AH!" I yelped when I saw the ghost hovering behind me. It wasn't any ghost Pokemon, though.  
It was like ghosts I'd heard about in old stories; something that could fly and looked to be wearing   
a white sheet that was slightly transparent. It had two black eyes and a small, black mouth.  
The creepy voice seemed to be coming from it.  
  
"Who...Who are Chu?" I managed to stammer.  
  
"I'm the gaurdian spirit of this tower, and I demand to know why you have been disturbing  
the rest of those who have lost their lives." it stated coldly.  
  
"Rai..."  
  
"I was not speaking to you. You are to leave this place, NOW!"  
  
"No! Rai won't leave Sara Raichu!"  
  
The ghost ignored this and flew over to me. I tried to run, but my feet felt rooted to the  
ground. The apperation enveloped me, limiting my vision to a white screen. A few moments passed,  
then I was able to move again. I walked out of the screen, only to find myself back outside the  
tower.  
  
"Raichu!" I tried to swear. I immeaditly dashed back into the tower. I wasn't about to let  
some annoyed spirit keep me from Sara. The first floor seemed unocuppied again, so I quickly moved  
down the stairs.   
  
"Haunt! Haunt! Haunt!"  
  
"RAI!" A Haunter greeted me on the next floor as soon as I hit the ground. Once I'd gotten  
control of my nerves, I realized there were Haunters and Ghastlies all over the place, most of them  
heading right for me. The Haunter in front of me gave my face a lick of its huge tounge. As soon  
as it touched me, I felt sick to my stomach.  
  
"Haunt! Haunt! Haunt!" it laughed as I tried not to throw up. I stumbled through it as   
the other Pokemon surrounded me, making various faces that looked more funny than scary. Keeping  
my head down, I tried to shut out their voices, looking for the staircase. I found it quickly, but  
only because I missed the first step and ended up rolling down them.  
  
"Chu..." I moaned in pain. Sara better have a REALLY good reason for coming her and putting  
me through all this. I seemed to have the lost the ghosts temporarily. No, wait, there they are in  
the corner! I got to my feet and tried to get away while they were distracted, but a sudden noise  
made me stop.  
  
"CUBONE! CUBONE!"  
  
It seemed to be coming from the group of ghosts. I could just ignore it, but whatever was  
with those ghosts sounded terrified. Swallowing my fears, I ran over and looked at the current  
situation.  
  
The ghosts had cornered a small Cubone, which was blindly swinging at them with its bone.  
The ghosts would simply dissappear and reappear when the small Pokemon swung at them. After a few  
tries, it finaly gave up and sat down on the ground, crying it's eyes out.  
  
"Oh..." I couldn't just sit here and watch it suffer like this. Before I knew what I was  
doing, I dove through the ghosts, grabbed the Cubone and dashed off down the stairs. It took a few  
seconds for the ghosts to realize what was happening, allowing me to move down the stairs without  
disturbing me.  
  
"CUBONE!" The Cubone whacked me in the stomach with its bone for awhile before it realized the  
bone was actually doing something this time. It managed to stop crying to look up at me after a  
little while.  
  
"Cubone?" It seemed more confused than scared. Judging by its voice, it was probably thinking,  
"What the heck is thing holding me?"  
  
"Rai there..." I slowed down on the third floor going down. The ghosts had stopped following  
me, and there were none already down here. "Are Chu alright?"  
  
"I'm Bone." it said with a nod.  
  
"That's good. My name's Dan." I set the Cubone done on the ground. "What are Chu doing here?"  
  
"Cubone, Bone Bone." was the response.  
  
"Uh...Are Chu lost?"  
  
"Bone." It nodded.  
  
"Where's Chu father?"  
  
"Cu?" It shrugged, which was understandable. Often fathers leave their mates once their  
females eggs are hatched.  
  
"O.K. What about Chu mother?"  
  
"Bone? Cu...*sniff* Bone..." it sniffed a few times before it started crying again.   
"CUUUUBBBBBOOOONNNNEEEE!"  
  
"Rai, Rai! It's O.K!" Looks like I hit a bad subject. After a minute, I got it to calm   
down.   
  
"Well...look, Rai need to find a friend here, and it's Raichu don't like ghosts." I  
enlarged an empty Poke Ball, showing it to Cubone. "It's not great, but Rai keep Chu safe from the  
ghosts. Do Chu wanna go in?"  
  
Cubone pondered this for a few moments. It didn't know what a ball would be like, but it  
would keep it safe from the ghosts. Personally, after all these run-ins with ghosts, I'd thought  
about maybe going in one myself if it weren't for the fact I could never get out by myself.  
  
"Cubone." it said with a nod after a minute or two. I gave the ball a small toss, and it  
Cubone on the skull. It was quickly sucked in, but the ball didn't even shake this time. The light  
went on in the button for about a second, then shut off.  
  
I picked up the ball, realizing that so far, not one of my Pokemon was captured the normal  
way capturing is done. Granted; I'm far from normal, but it'd still be nice to have a real battle  
and feel normal.  
  
"Ghastly!"  
  
"Haunt! Haunt! Haunt!"  
  
"Raichu!" The ghosts had finally made their way down the stairs, so I grabbed Cubone's   
Poke Ball and took off down the next flight of stairs. I didn't lose any ground on the ghosts, nor  
did I gain any. Down stairs after stairs I ran, with what seemed like a living wall of ghosts  
chasing me. By the time I got down to the second to last floor, where Sara had been, I was about  
to collapse. That odd ghost was still here, and Sara was still buried in the dirt. The ghost who'd  
thrown me out last time seemed to be speaking to her until I showed up. It turned toward me as I  
ran in.  
  
"I told you to leave this place!" it sneered at me.  
  
"And Rai *gasp* told Chu *gasp* Rai wasn't *gasp* going to *gasp* leave Sara!" I managed  
to get out, trying not to collapse in exhaustion.  
  
"Well, I must admit it took some courage to come down here again. Too bad it'll be for  
nothing."   
  
It started to fly over to me again. This time, I grabbed Bulbasaur Poke Ball and threw it  
out in front of the charging ghost.  
  
"Bulbasaur!" he called out. He looked around to see where he was, then noticed the ghosts.  
"BULB!"  
  
"It's O.K., Bulbasaur!" I tried to assure him. "Rai need you to Rai and fight that." I   
pointed at the odd ghost of the bunch.  
  
"Bulba?! Saur..." Bulbasaur didn't seem confident, but I needed him to at least try. The  
ghost Pokemon had formed a circle around us, trying to get a look at all the action.  
  
Bulbasaur fired a pair of Razor Leaves at the ghost. The ghost dissappeared as the leaves  
were about to hit it, where I couldn't see.  
  
"Keep Chu eyes open, Bulbasaur!" We both looked around, trying to find out where this ghost  
had dissappeared to. It seemed to have vanished totally.  
  
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur's head suddenly jerked to the side, then down into the ground. His  
whole body jerked about, but I couldn't figure out why. Finally Bulbasaur was knocked back into  
my leg, where I picked him up.  
  
"Bulbasaur, Rai happened?!" Now that he was close, I could see bruises all over his body.  
That ghost had went invisible and simply beat my poor Pokemon!  
  
"Saur, Bulba..."  
  
"It's alright. Chu tried hard, and that all Rai can ask." I returned Bulbasaur to his ball  
while the ghost reappeared.  
  
"Is that the best you have?" it taunted.  
  
"Grrr..." Now what? Maybe Nidoran could do something...but isn't Poison weak against Ghost?  
Still, I had to give it a shot. Furret had no chance, and Cubone would be too terrified to fight.  
If I had to in the end, I guess I would have to fight it myself.  
  
"Nidoran! Rai choose you!" I threw out Nidoran's Poke Ball, praying he'd be able to do  
something.  
  
"Nidor...NIDO!" Nidoran noticed the ghosts very quickly. "Ran Nido you Nidoran Ran me Ran  
Nido?!"  
  
"Sorry Nidoran, but Rai need Chu to try and fight that ghost." Man, I really didn't want to  
do this, but I had to save Sara.  
  
"I'm not sure what kind of creatures you are," the ghost said, looking at Nidoran quickly,  
"but you must make terrible Pokemon trainers."  
  
"Rai! Nidoran, Poison Sting!"  
  
Nidoran launched a series of small white needles from his open mouth at the ghost. They  
passed right on through without even phasing it. The ghost responed by making a throwing motion  
with its short arms. Nothing happened for a few seconds, and I wondered what it did.  
  
"RAN!" Nidoran's was suddenly knocked back into me, causing us both to tumble into the  
ground.  
  
"Ni...dor...an..." Nidoran moaned. By the time I moved around to look at him, he'd passed out  
from the blow.  
  
"No..." I returned Nidoran to his ball, then stood up. Looks like I'm on my own for this one.  
I stepped out and tensed up, trying to decide how this thing could be defeated.  
  
"Now YOU want to fight me?!" it said in a cold chuckle. "You know you stand no chance..."  
  
"Rai don't care. Rai want to save my friend!"  
  
"Save your friend? You want to save someone who digs up graves?! You really need to do a  
better job making friends..."  
  
"Vul had a reason!" Sara called out.  
  
"Your reasons concern me not!" It'd turned away from me, so I took the advantage of the  
first shot.  
  
"RAAAAIIII...CHUUUUU!" I placed both my index fingers together and pointed them at the  
ghost. Focusing all the electrical power I could to them, I formed a bolt that flew toward the   
ghost. The ghost twitched and let out a little yelp of pain as the bolt hit it.  
  
"You dare attack me in the back?!" it cried out. It turned around and placed its hands so  
it looked as if it was holding something. My electricty now stopped at the invisible object and  
dissappeared as soon as it hit it.  
  
The ghost flew forward, so fast I barely saw it. An instant before the ghost ran into me,   
something jabbed me in the stomach, hard. I grabbed at my stomach and moaned, feeling like I was  
about to throw up. The ghosts arms seemed to swing the invisible object, and suddenly I had a   
massive headache.  
  
"What...Rai...that?" I gasped inbetween short, painful breaths.  
  
"Something your kind can't fight." it said before swinging the object again, this time   
into my chest. I fell back, feeling like a Rhydon just trampled over me. I gritted my teeth and  
used my elbows to support me, feeling the pain shooting through my body.  
  
"Are you finished yet?" The ghost asked.  
  
I moved to my knees and moaned, trying to think about what I could do now. Bulbasaur and  
Nidoran were hurt, Furret couldn't fight a ghost-type...I didn't want to have to put Cubone through  
this...but if I didn't try, something bad was going to happen to us all.  
  
"Cubone! *ow* Rai choose you!" I tossed out Cubones ball, praying with everything I had in  
me I'd win this.   
  
"Cubone!" Cubone cried out when it was fully formed. It looked around at all the ghosts,  
then cried out. "CUBONE!"  
  
"Cubone, Rai sorry, but Rai need Chu to fight that ghost." I was gonna hate myself for this  
later. No way could a Cubone, especially such a small one, could fight a ghost. Still, what choice  
did I have?  
  
"Cu...Bone..." Cubone was shaking badly, but held its bone toward the ghost. Please, I  
thought, just don't let Cubone lose this. Please...  
  
"What?! This can't be!"  
  
The ghost flew over to Cubone, but not at the same full blown attack speed it'd used on  
the rest of us. It apporached very slowly, like something about Cubone surprised it.  
  
"CUBONE!" Cubone took a swing at the ghost, which passed right through it. Still, it   
didn't phase out like the others. Cubone tried a few more swings, then sat down and cried again.  
I felt sick with myself for doing this. Why did I make it do th...  
  
"It's alright..."  
  
This came not from me or Sara, but the ghost. The ghost stroked Cubone's head, trying to  
calm it down. Cubone looked up with tear filled eyes, seemilingly confused.  
  
"Where'd you find this Cubone?" the ghost asked me.   
  
"Rai...found it upstairs. Those ghosts Chu scaring it, so Rai pulled it out." I said,  
pointing at the ring of ghost-Pokemon surrounding us.  
  
"WHAT?!" The odd ghost glared at all the ghost-Pokemon, who suddenly didn't look so happy.  
"I TOLD YOU ALL TO LEAVE THIS CUBONE ALONE! LEAVE MY SIGHT, NOW!"  
  
The ghosts didn't question this, and quickly dissappeared. I was starting to wonder what on  
earth was going on when the ghost started to glow. After a few seconds, there was a flash of light,  
temporaily blinding me. When my vision returned, there was no ghost, but...  
  
"Marowak..."  
  
The ghost-turned-Marowak stroked the Cubone's skull slowly. The Cubone stared in disbelief  
for a few seconds, then hugged the Marowak tightly, who returned the embrace.  
  
"What in the world..." Suddenly it hit me like a ton of bricks. This is why Cubone cried  
when I mentioned its family...  
  
"Chu its mother..."  
  
The Marowak said nothing, but nodded. After a minute, the Marowak turned over to Sara and  
gave a wave of its bone. Suddenly Sara was forced out of the ground, covered in dirt, but at  
least on the ground instead of in it.  
  
"Thank Vul." she said, trying to brush off some of the dirt. The Marowak waved its bone  
at me, and I felt all the pain and damage from being hit suddenly leave my body. I slowly got up  
and walked over to the happy pair.  
  
"Excuse me, but can Rai ask what's going on?"  
  
"It was a few months ago. Some humans dressed in black had overrun the tower, looking  
for my kind. I'd managed to hide my son, who you now see before you, but I was cornered by them.  
The roof above me was weak, so I threw my bone at it, hoping to escape in the confusion. I was  
right; it was weak, but I didn't know how much so. Instead of escaping, the ceiling collapsed on  
me...and that's all I remember. The next thing I knew, I was in the form you just saw me in. I  
vowed to make sure that no one ever tresspassed on this tower again, and tried to protect my  
child as best as I could. Those simple ghosts...all that concerns them is having fun. I asked them  
to leave my child alone, but they didn't listen."  
  
"Vul sorry..."  
  
"Me Chu..." I quickly looked up at Sara, remembering what had started all this. "Sara,  
why are Chu here? Why did Chu run out on us?"  
  
"Oh...Vul sorry, but Vul had to know..."  
  
"Know? Know what?"  
  
"That grave...its supposed to Vul my parents, but..."  
  
"Rai! Sara, Chu parents are still in town!"  
  
"No...they're not Pix parents...not Pix real parents, anyway."  
  
I simply looked at her in shock. Those weren't her real parents?! Sara explained what she  
meant.  
  
Her real parents supposedly died in a car accident years ago in the town where she lives.  
Sara was with them at the time, but she was only a year and a half old at the time, and doesn't  
remember anything. The mayor had taken her in later. Sara was raised by him for a while, but she  
still wanted to find out as much as she could about her real parents. With her foster father's  
forged signature, she got the file of the accident from the police. The report stated that all  
that was found on the sence was a mangled car, Sara in a baby seat, and some various objects in  
the car. Among those items; a music box that played the exact same song as the one I'd given her.  
It had been given to her as a gift, and the one I gave her resparked the memories of it and got  
her upset.  
  
"But Rai come here?"  
  
The police(before they went bad) had tried to find anyone related to Sara's parents to  
inform them of the news. All they could find in connection to them was two burial spaces they   
owned in the tower; the ones she'd tried to dig up. She was confused, since the tower only buries  
Pokemon, but it was the only clue she had.  
  
"If I'd known that's what you were trying to do, I would've told you." the Marowak said.  
  
"That nice Rai know NOW." I muttered.  
  
"Actually, that's one of the most puzzling things about this tower. I've never figured out  
what happened there..."  
  
"What do Vul mean?"  
  
Cubone had backed away a little from its mother, allowing the Marowak to turn toward the  
graves. With a wave of its bone, the dirt above the caskets suddenly moved to the sides. The  
caskets flew up and stood on their front ends before opening. I was expecting remains of a Pokemon  
to fall out. Instead, there was...nothing. The caskets, both with a red pillow and white linings,  
were totally empty. There wasn't even a speck of mud; they'd never be used!  
  
Sara stared in amazement at the empty caskets for a while. Eventually she nodded, and the  
Marowak waved its bone once again. The caskets closed, returned to the holes in the ground they'd  
made, and were recovered by the dirt.  
  
"Well...Vul guess that's it then..." She sounded calm, but I knew something was going on  
in her head.  
  
"Rai guess..." I looked down at Cubone and Marowak, both holding their bones...the bone!  
That's what blocked my electricity and hit me and the others. No wonder Bulbasaur was able to take  
a lot more hits than me and Nidoran; Ground is weak against Grass, but strong against Poison and  
Electric.  
  
"Wait...before you leave, I have a favor to ask." Marowak said.  
  
"Rai?"  
  
"Please...take my child with you."  
  
"Vul?!"  
  
"Please...this is no place for a child to live alone, and I can only remain like this for  
so long. You saved my child from those simple ghosts, and seem to be willing to make sacrifices   
when you must. I need someone strong to pass on my son to."  
  
"Rai flattered, but are Chu sure?"  
  
Marowak nodded. "I am...but before you go, I want to speak with him one last time." Marowak  
looked down at Cubone, who had his full attention. "My son, I wish I didn't have to leave you, but  
if you stay here, it will only cause more pain for us both. If you go, maybe you can live a   
somewhat normal life, and maybe I can finally move on. Please, be good to your trainer, and   
remember; no matter what happens, I'll always love you."  
  
"Cubone..." Mother and son hugged each other tightly. Cubone was crying, but it was  
obvious it was trying to hold back the tears. Marowak dropped her bone as she hugged her son.  
Soon, Marowak began to turn white and misty looking, and I realized that she was moving on.  
  
"Bone?" Cubone backed away as his arms suddenly grabbed at air. He back away as his mothers  
legs began to fade away into nothing. I heard Sara sniffing as the lower half of the Marowak's body  
dissappeared, and I admit I was getting a bit teary eyed myself.  
  
"Cubone!" Cubone cried out as all that was left was his mothers head.  
  
"Goodbye, my child." Those were the final words she spoke before she totally dissappeared.  
We watched in silence for a few seconds, just looking at nothing. Cubone sniffed a few times, then  
walked over and took the only physical object that was left of her; her bone. Although it was too  
large for him to hold with one hand, he dropped his own bone and picked up hers, hugging and rubbing  
his head against it.  
  
Unbothered by other ghosts, I picked up Cubones bone and took it with us as we walked out.  
Cubone carried his mothers bone all the way back to the hotel. As soon as we shifted forms and  
walked in, we started packing immediatly. If we stayed much longer, things could get ugly.   
  
As we packed, I noticed how quiet everyone was being. Maybe it was because no one knew  
what to say. Maybe it was because we all felt Marowak deserved a moment of silence; to this day  
I'm unsure. Looking out the window, I noticed you could actually see the tower rather well from  
where we were. I felt I should say something, but as I looked at the tower and remembered the   
days events, I could only say one word.  
  
"Goodbye."  
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So ends Chp.19. I hope you enjoy it, and remember that those who pass on are not truly lost as  
long as we remember them. Instead of the usual quote or joke, I think a moment of silence would  
be appropriate for those who had their lives taken from them on the Sept. 11 tradgey. While I'm  
just a fanfic author, I know no one should have to go through what happened on that day, and I  
pray we'll never have to deal with anything like this again. 


	20. Memories and a Secret...

Alright, time to work! Starting today, I'm going to stop slacking off so much...right after my   
nap. No, no! Must focus! Can't lose concentration!   
  
This isn't like my usual updates. I'm thinking of doing a smaller, less updated fic based on Dan's   
adventures as a baby before he got his paws on the Thunder Stone ring. E-mail me at   
firehybrid@swirve.com and tell me if you want me to do more like these!   
  
Note:Chp. 3 of Intertwine Dreams is also done! Go check it out!   
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Chp.20- Memories and a Secret...   
  
*Pppiiikkkaaa...*   
  
I yawned as I sat up, streching out my arms. Looking around, I saw I was in what my   
caring creatures call a crib. It's white with big bars that I think are supposed to keep me from   
falling out when I sleep. Personally, I don't think I need it, but they seem to get to make all   
the desicions, so I can't really help it.   
  
Looking to my right, I saw my stuffed Teddiursa, Fuzzy, and smiled. He's a great creature;   
he lets me put the papers and shiny objects I like so much inside him, and he's great to talk to,   
even though he doesn't talk himself. Oh well; at least he won't yell at me like my caring creatures   
do. Besides, he's also nice to hold.   
  
Standing up, I moved over to one of the walls of my crib and moved the magic rod. I think   
it's magic, because as soon as I move it, the wall falls down so I can get out. One of these days,   
I'll have to figure out how that works.   
  
Climbing down to the floor, I began to crawl around for the small, round shiny objects.   
My caring creatures don't like me taking the shiny objects and papers from all the high places I   
like to climb to, but they don't understand how much I like them. Since I'd gotten most of them   
anyway, I was forced to look for the shiny things they drop on the ground.   
  
After finding one of the bigger round objects, I started to crawl back to Fuzzy so I could   
store it. As I apporached my room, the caring creature who called itself Mom came out of it,   
holding Fuzzy in it's hands. That was nice; it was bringing Fuzzy to me!   
  
"Pika!" I thanked it, holding out my arms to take Fuzzy.   
  
"Daniel! Did you get out again?!" Mom asked.   
  
"Chu!" I said with a nod. I could always leave my crib; once in a while, Mom and the other   
caring creature, who called itself Dad, did something to it so it would be a little harder than   
usual to get out, but nothing that I couldn't get through with a little work.   
  
"*sigh* Well, I'll take care of you as soon as I'm done here..." It started off down the   
hall, still holding Fuzzy.   
  
"Pika? Pika!" It was taking Fuzzy away! I crawled after it, but it soon went into a room   
and closed the door, keeping me out.   
  
I sat there in shock. How could it take Fuzzy away?! Who was I going to talk to?! Where   
was I going to put my things?! As I sat there, feeling the tears welling up in my eyes, I did the   
only thing I could do.   
  
I cried.   
  
"PPPPPPIIIIIIKKKKKKAAAAAACCCCCCHHHHHHUUUUUU!!!!!!"   
  
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"FUZZY!"   
  
I bolted awake, clutching at my bag, my fur slick with sweat. Man, what a nightmare. I'd   
started having these weird dreams since the beginning of the week, with pretty much the same kind   
of dream. I was always a baby Pikachu Hybrid, and I always was having these odd urges to find   
shiny things, things like coins and jewelry, or papers, which I realized were money. I wouldn't   
even be so bothered, except these felt so real...was I just dreaming, or was I recalling things   
I did in my childhood? Mom said I was always taking valuable stuff and hiding it...   
  
"Dan?"   
  
I instantly froze, then slowly turned around. Sara, Vaporeon and all the Pokemon were   
looking very oddly at me.   
  
"Dan?" Sara repeated. "Are Vul O.K.?"   
  
"Rai...fine, fine! What gave Chu the idea something Rai wrong?"   
  
"Well...Vul woke up screaming, "Fuzzy". That Vulpix sound right..."   
  
"Rai fine, really!"   
  
Of course I wasn't fine, but I thought it'd be a bit embarassing to explain to them I was   
screaming over my old stuffed Teddiursa.   
  
After convincing everyone I was alright, we started to get the new tent I bought down and   
get everything out. As I moved out my backpack against a tree, a thought occured to me. She   
wouldn't have...   
  
Checking to make sure none of the others were looking, I quickly searched through my pack,   
checking the very bottom of every compartment. Sure enough, at the very bottom of the main section,   
a place I never checked, he was there. For a second, I was furious with Mom for packing him in   
there; I was too old now! Still, seeing the brown fur and big, curious eyes, I silently thanked her   
for it.   
  
"Vaporeon!"   
  
"Sorry!" I quickly dumped all my stuff back over Fuzzy and quickly zipped it up. It'd be   
nice to have him...to give to someone else, of course...   
  
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There you have it! Let me know what you all think, and tell me if you want to see more of them!   
E-mail me at firehybrid@swirve.com. See ya! 


	21. Chapter 21

1 Chapter 20- Short Love and Long Histories

It all started out innocently enough. We were walking(something new for a change) along toward Celadon City. No one had seen any wild Pokemon, no one had tried to attack us; things were

about as boring as you could get.

"Man, this is Raichu boring..." I yawned. Having spent over a week without any excitement, I was starting to wonder where I got the idea that something exciting happens everyday as a trainer.

"Vaporeon..." I got a nod from Vaporeon in response.

"Bone..." I had Cubone out now, and Pidgeotto was perched on Sara's shoulder. I try to give a little more attention and caring to Cubone than I have toward my other Pokemon so far. After all, Cubone just lost his mother. He needs someone to rely upon now.

"Here, Pidgeotto." Sara held out her hand to Pidgeotto, who walked onto it. Holding out her hand in front of her, she said, "Why don't Vul go and strech Vul wings?"

"Pidgeo!" Pidgeotto seemed like to that idea. She streched out her wings, then began to take flight. As Pidgeotto took off, Sara pulled another ball off of her belt and opened it up, realsing Railina.

"Raichu!" she cried out when she was fully formed.

"Hey, Railina! Are Chu doing O.K?" I asked.

"Rai..." Railina smiled and looked up at me. She seemed very happy to see me, but I didn't think much of it.

We all started walking again. As we walked, though I couldn't help but notice that Railina was always smiling at me as we walked the whole way. My nose also detected an odd, yet kinda nice smell coming from her too.

"Hey, Sara? Chu smell that?"

"Smell what?"

"Rai coming from Railina. Rai smells nice, but Rai can't tell what it is."

"Vul? Dan, she smells the same Pix she always does."

"Chu sure? Vaporeon...Vaporeon!"

Vaporeon was sniffing the air around Railina, a smile on his short muzzle. Very slowly, he inched his way toward her, continuing to sniff around her.

"Rai!" Railina cracked her tail at Vaporeon, who backed away, looking upset.

"Vaporeon! Railina! What's going on...Vul?"

Having knocked away Vaporeon, Railina walked over to be and threw her arms around my leg, hugging it. She sighed happily as she rubbed her head against my pant leg.

"Railina! Come Rai, get off!" I attempted to shake Railina off my leg, but she just hugged it even tighter, refusing to move.

"Raichu love Chu!" she cried out.

"What? Love?" What was she trying to say? "Do Chu love someone?"

"Rai!" she said with a nod.

"Who?" Sara asked.

"Chu!" she said, giving my leg an extra hard hug.

"Me! Chu love me!"

"Rai!" How could Railina love me! I'm a human...well, kinda...but still, just because I'm part Raichu meant she was in love with me?

"What! Railina, Vul love Dan! How could...Pix..." Sara seemed to have just caught on to something.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Dan...Railina's Pix heat."

"Heat! She's in heat!"

For those uneducated on the subject, I'll explain. Only a female Pokemon can go into heat. When they do, they emit a scent that makes almost any male Pokemon think they're in love with the female. The female, in turn, will think they're in love with every male Pokemon until they find a male they find particular interest in, then ignore everyone else and give their total devotion and attention to the selected male. The female goes into heat about three times a year, and it usually only lasts about a week. Thankfully, only fully evolved Pokemon who are no longer considered young for their species can go into heat.

"Sara, get her off, Raichu!" I said, continuing to try and shake Railina off. That's another thing about females in heat; rejection just makes them try harder. I was actually kinda surprised I wasn't acting like Vaporeon, but I guess since I was originally a human, her scent

wasn't strong enough to affect me.

"Railina, return!" Sara pulled a Poke Ball from her belt to try and return Railina.

"RAICHU!" Railina quickly let go and ran behind me. She just avoided the beam that shot out to recall her, causing the beam to miss my foot by about an inch.

"Rai! Watch where Chu point that thing!" I yelped, leaping to the side.

"Sorry!" Sara put the ball away and looked at Railina, who was now hugging the back of my leg. "Well, she's not Vulpix on her own..."

"Rai guess we'll have to deal with it. How bad could Rai be?"

Oh, if I only knew...

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Railina wasn't too bad about this whole heat thing. She pretty much just clang to my leg the whole time and refused to get off. I had to walk a little slower because of her weight on my leg, but that was about it. This didn't seem as bad as I've heard people make it out to be. That

was, until we stopped to rest for the night.

"Railina, Chu really need to get off..."

"Rai!"

"What's wrong, Dan?" Sara asked, seeing I was trying to shake Railina off again.

"Well, Rai wanna go get changed for bed..."

"And?..."

"Rai not gonna change my clothes with Railina staring at me Rai whole time!"

"Vul...come here."

I walked over to Sara, who was sitting by the fire she'd set up. She grabbed Railina, and after a little work, we managed to yank her off. Railina looked extremly hurt when she realized what had happened.

"Rai..." She looked like she was gonna cry.

"It's O.K.! Rai be back in a little while, O.K?"

"Chu..." She still looked close to tears.

I quickly went back into the tent and began to change my clothes. Railina should be fine. After all, I'm just going in the tent for a few minutes. What's the worst that could happe...

"Vap! Vaporeon!"

"Rai! Chu Raichu love Rai!"

"Va...Vap Eon Vaporeon..."

"Vaporeon! Railina! Cut Vul out!"

"Vaporeon!"

WHOOSH!

"PIX!"

"Vaporeon, Vapor Vapor!"

"RAICHU CHU ATTACK RAI!"

"Vaporeon your Vap, Vapor Eon Eon love..."

"Vaporeon, Vul in big trouble!"

"Raichu! Raiii...CHUUU!"

BZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTT!

"V-V-VVVAAAPPP!"

"What's on Earth is going on Rai there!" I called out.

"Vul don't wanna know!"

Thinking prehaps I should get out there, I quickly crawled through the door of my new tent, just having time to toss on my sweatpants in my haste. I quickly saw that all chaos was about to break loose.

Sara's fur was damp with water, probably from being on the recieving end of a water attack from Vaporeon, Vaporeon's skin and fins were burnt black in some areas from being attacked by Railina's electricty, and Railina herself was standing between Sara and Vaporeon, glaring angirly at Vaporeon while sparks shot out of her cheeks.

"Railina! Vaporeon! What are Chu two doing!" I yelled out.

"Raichu Ra..." Railina started to say angirly, until she looked at me. A sudden smile lit up her face when she saw me. "Rai!"

Railina quickly forgot about Sara and Vaporeon and ran back over to me, throwing her arms around my leg. I sighed, realized this wasn't going to be nearly as easy as I thought.

"Rai love Chu!" Railina said with a happy sigh.

"Rai know, Rai know..."

"Dan, maybe we'd better keep Vul two apart...at least for tonight." Sara said, looking at Vaporeon and Railina. "Why don't Vul take Vaporeon into the tent? Vul can probably control Pix better than me."

I nodded and called for Vaporeon. He glared angrily at me, almost like he was mad at me. He slowly came over and walked into the tent, not even looking at me. I decided this was a good time to stay quiet. After I'd gotten Railina off my leg again with Sara's help, Railina stayed by Sara (only after Sara promised to teach Railina how to impress me), and I went back to the tent.

Vaporeon went to a corner of the tent and laid down, facing away from me. I called all my Pokemon to come in; it was getting late anyway, and I didn't want to be stuck alone with Vaporeon.

After about an hour or two of studying the big Pokemon information book I'd bought with me and a quick game of chess with Furret(which I barely won) I could feel my eyelids starting to close on their own. No one else, not even Sara knows how to play chess, and I still can't figure out for the life of me how she learned. She's already beaten me three times in four days! Oh well; maybe her old trainer taught her how to play.

I yawned and curled up in my sleeping bag. At least I could go to sleep and not worry about a love-sick Pokemon tonight...

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Dan! Dan, wake up!

I moaned, still half asleep. I blinked a few times, trying to get my vision into focus. Hey, how'd I get out of my clothes...and why am I so deep in my bag...oh no!

Not again! I scrambled out of my bag on all fours, trying to see if it was right. Ah man, I thought as I looked at my now handless arms, why do I keep going totally Raichu like this?...

Dan! Face me, now!

Who's th...AH! I yelped when I saw Vaporeon's now huge looking face right next to me, staring at me very angrily. Geez, you scared me...

Dan, I challenge you to a battle!

What? Battle? I sighed and shook my head. Vaporeon, it's too early for this. Go back to sleep.

NO! I leapt back a little in shock. What was going on with him!

You and Sara are trying to keep me from my love! I will not stand for it!

Vaporeon...you don't truly love Railina. She's in heat, and her scent is makin...

Lies! She does love me, and I love her! You're confusing her and trying to get her to love you! The only way to settle this is a battle; winner gets Railina!

Vaporeon, I... I started to say, but was interrupted when someone entered the tent...NO! NOT NOW!

DAN!

Railina rushed over to me and hugged me, nuzzling my cheek with her nose. I sighed and tried to pry her off me, to no avail.

Railina, no! I don't...

Oh, you're even cuter like this! Railina said with a happy sigh.

See! She loves you because of all the mind tricks you've been using on her! Vaporeon said fiercely.

No, I...

I can't wait till we can settle down... Railina said as she continued to nuzzle me. We'll find a nice place to live, maybe a tree...we'll always be there for each other, and we can take care of

our little Pichus...

NO! I shoved Railina away, disgusted at the thought. Me and her, having kids together! I shuddered at the thought.

She throws herself at you when she knows how I feel for her! How else do you explain that! Vaporeon asked angrily, slowly moving to me.

V-V-Vaporeon... I stammered, backing up slowly as Vaporeon moved after me. I knew I had a type advantage over him, but his huge size compared to me, and he could still do some real damage even without his water attacks. "S-She's in heat...you don't love her, and neither do I! She just decided to imprint on me and not you..."

LIAR! Vaporeon shot a stream of water at me. I barely fell onto my back in time to dodge it as the water soaked a large part of the tent.

Vaporeon! Calm down! I rolled to all fours, feeling the sparks flying out of my cheeks. I don't want to fight you! Haven't either of you been listening to me!

Oh... Railina sighed happily. I can already tell we'll be attracted to each other like magnets...

...I'll take that as a no...

I'll win my love from you! Vaporeon cried before lunging at me again, baring his sharp teeth. I dove to the side, then ran out of the tent to see Sara sleeping by the fire.

Sara! Sara! I yelled, running over to her. Vaporeon's after me! Help! Help!

"Five more minutes..." she mumbled, rolling over.

SARA! WAKE UP! Still no response. Well, I didn't really want to do this, but...RAAAIII...CHHHUUUU!

I charged up and zapped Sara with a small bolt. She yelped and woke up with a start.

"Railina! Why'd you do that to me!...oh no, Railina! What'd you do...huh?" Sara looked oddly at me. "Railina? Where'd your bow go?"

I'm not Railina! It's me, Dan!

"Come on Railina, let's...huh?" I turned to see both Railina and Vaporeon brust out of the tent, both coming straight for me.

Come back to me, my love!

Stay away from her!

"Railina? That means...Dan!" Sara looked down at me in shock. "What happened!"

I don't know, but I'm getting out of here!

I took off on all fours, hearing Sara following close behind me. Vaporeon and Railina were still calling after me. My cries of, Vaporeon, you can have Railina! Railina, I don't love you! were either lost or ignored.

"We need to hide!" Sara yelled as we leapt over a small stream.

Fine, but where! I yelled back.

That's when it happened. Making a short turn around a tree, a big rock loomed ahead of me. I was going too fast to stop, so I tried to make the leap over it. Unfortunetly, the rock was just a little too big. I almost cleared it, but my back legs caught the top of the rock and made me land in a rolled up position.

Oh man! The hill beyond the rock was really steep, and the only thing I could think to do was curl into a ball and pray. For what seemed like an hour I rolled and rolled, sending a flock of Mukrow flapping away as I barreled through them.

I became extremly worried when I felt my body go up hill sharply before losing any contact with the ground and feeling only air around me. I admit; I was scared out of my mind. I thought this

was gonna be the end. After flying up for what seemed like forever, I rapidly began to fall to the ground; I was gonna be a Raichu pancake!

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I screamed at the top of my lungs, now just hoping it'd be over quick.

SPLOOSH!

For once, luck seemed to be on my side. I landed in some body of water, making a huge splash as I did. I hit the bottom quick, but the water broke the worst part of my fall. I managed to unroll myself and kick hard off the bottom, rising quickly to the surface. The water was moving fast, but I managed to swim to the side and collapse onto the ground, totally worn out.

Good grief...I tell those parents to keep an eye on their kids, but do they listen? No; no one listens to me an...oh!

Somebody rushed over to my side, seeing I wasn't in the best shape. They slowly helped me to my hind legs.

Thanks... I managed to mumble, trying to focus on my helper. I almost jumped away at first when I saw the Raichu face; I thought it was Railina. When I looked closer though, I realized it

couldn't be. This Raichu was older than her; its fur was starting to turn a little grey with age, and its skin was sagging a little under the fur. It also had a large, jagged scar across its belly, and it's voice sounded more like a males voice; deeper and not as high pitched.

Wow; you're soaking wet. You're lucky you didn't short out when you... Suddenly my helper looked to be in shock. Oh...oh great Mew...I don't believe it...

I looked oddly at him; it's been told that most Pokemon think of the legendary Pokemon Mew as the ultimate god, so saying something like, "Great Mew" is like a human saying, "Great God". Why was this guy so happy to see me? I was left to my confusion while the other Raichu called out to someone.

Rami! Rami! Mew answered our prayers! He's back! He's back after all these years!

What? a new voice responded, this one definitly female. Another Raichu emerged from a fallen tree, the inside hollow after years of weathering. She looked much like the male Raichu, but her face looked...softer compared to the male Raichu holding me. She also didn't have the scar across her belly.

He's back! After all these years...he's returned!

What? Who's back, dea...oh...oh my! Now the female Raichu looked shocked. He IS back! She rushed over and hugged me tightly, tears flooding her eyes.

It's...nice to see you too... What was going on here!

After all this time...we can finally be a family The female Raichu, who I guessed was named Rami, said inbetween tears.

Son...we've missed you so much...

SON!

It's . . . it's nice to see you again Dad . . . you too, Mom . . . I thought it was best to just play along for the moment. I was totally lost and in a unfamiliar body; maybe I can get some food and shelter from them until the others find me . . . and hopefully by then Railina will be back to her old self.

Please, son! Come into our home; we have so much we need to catch up on! Rami and the male Raichu let go of me and quickly led me into the tree while they tried to clear the tears out of their eyes. I tried to think of something to say, but the two of them seemed so emotional at the moment, I decided it was better to say nothing for the moment and just accept the hospitality they were offering.

The fallen tree went on for a little while before opening up into a hole in the ground. The two Raichus leading me hopped into the hole and started down a tunnel. I scrambled after them, feeling a little claustrophobic as I made my way through the fairly narrow tunnel.

Um . . . Mom? Dad? Are we gonna be home soon? Where exactly was home, anyway? I don't remember Raichus being a burrowing species, so it seemed odd that we would be underground. Still, the two of them seemed to know what they were doing.

Don't worry, son; we're here now. The two of them suddenly cleared out of the way in front of me. I could see an opening and some light, which I quickly crawled out to.

This is a . . . nice . . . home. The space I was now in seemed to be a large dome shaped cavern; in the middle of it sat a stump; considering we had to be fairly deep underground, that must've been a very tall tree at one point. There we several tunnels that branched off this main room like the one I'd just crawled through, although the actual tunnels were all different sizes. What got me, though, were the torches hanging from the walls at various points that illuminated the entire dome. I was about to get a better look at one when the male Raichu started to tug on my arm.

Come son; we must introduce you to everybody! I can not wait to tell them the news . . .

Richi! Rami quickly separated us, scolding her husband for his behavior. Our son has just returned home for the first time in years from Mew knows where; he must be exhausted! Let him rest for now; the others can wait . . .

Yes, yes your right, Rami. The male, Richi I assumed his name was, looked down in embarrassment. I'm sorry, son; I'm just so glad to have you home again . . . your mother is correct, however; now is the time for you to rest.

Thank you, mother, father. I would appreciate that . . . I really would, too; Vaporeon had woken me up from an otherwise sound sleep in the middle of the night. After the unexpected run and swim, I was pretty tired.

Rami and Richi led me down another tunnel to another domed area, but this one had straw strewn all over the floor instead of the big stump and only one torch hanging on the far wall.

Here you go, son; this is where we sleep. We know it's not much . . .

It's fine; thank you . . . I stepped onto the straw and sat down, testing it with my paw for comfort. It was a little rough, but I didn't care much; I just wanted a place to sleep now.

Sleep well, son . . . Richi made his way back down the tunnel, and Rami started to follow him. I called to her before she got out of earshot; I still had a ton of questions.

Mom, wait . . . can I ask you something?

Yes, son? Rami practically dashed back to me, sounding very eager. Mental note: these two are definitely very happy to see me. Now, where do I start with the questions?

Mom . . . I've noticed you and Dad calling each other by name, but you always call me son. Why don't you call me by my name? Surely if I'm your son, you would have named me . . .

I was genuinely curious about the name thing, but at the same time, I wanted to try and hint to her that this was a big misunderstanding, and try to make it a little easier to her when I inevitably had to tell her the truth. She looked down at the ground, not looking at me.

We . . . I . . . when we lost you, you were so little . . . we hadn't even had a chance to name you yet. Ever since then, your father and I . . . we decided not to name you; not until we had you back with us.

. . . Oh . . . um, I'm sorry . . . I could feel my cheeks flushing under my fur; talk about embarrassing. I curled up on the straw, trying not to meet her eyes. I-I can wait with the other things; I was just curious . . .

It's alright, my child. You rest now. I could tell she was fighting back tears as she went out. Goodnight . . .

Goodnight . . . Mom . . . I curled up on the straw and closed my eyes; sleep came quickly thereafter.

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I awoke some time later, feeling much more refreshed. I looked myself over, half expecting to be back to my Hybrid form. Surprising, though, I was still in Pokemon form. That's odd; usually

I only stay in this form for a little while, and judging from the way I was fully recovered, I must've been asleep quite some time. What then . . . ?

Ssssss . . .

Huh? Where was that sound coming from? It sounded kinda like a gas pipe leaking, or an . . .

EKANS! I yelped and leapt away from the noise, turning quickly to see the poisonous Pokemon not inches from where I had been sleeping. I'd been warned often during my training before I left home to watch out for poisonous Pokemon in the wild; if you're deep in the wild, you have to be very careful. Though an Ekans' poison isn't particularly strong or anything, it can still be very dangerous. This Ekans seemed to be no threat, though, at least while it was still sleeping. It's snoring had scared the living daylights out of me, and while I didn't run out of the room, I did walk very quickly away, looking for Rami and Richi.

Mom? Dad? Um, there's an Ekans in my room . . . I stopped when I noticed the shapes of various Pokemon back in the central room with the stump. As I got closer, I could see that the Pokemon were all from the local area; a couple of Sentrets, some more Ekans, a Bellsprout and a Squirtle. I also caught glimpses of Rami and Richi; they all seemed to be talking as I approached.

The Pidgey's in the trees toward the river have said they've noticed a lot more humans coming from the direction of Viridian City . . .

We've found something dropped by some humans a few days ago; we put them with the others that we need to figure out the use of . . .

The Spearows and Mukrow have been having arguments over tree space; we're trying to get them to agree on some sort of peaceful settlement . . .

What the? . . . So much co-operation between so many different species, and they seem a lot more intelligent than the average wild Pokemon. Wild Pokemon aren't really dumb or anything, but this . . . this was certainly well above what most people think wild Pokemon are capable of. I moved a little closer, trying to stay close to what was happening without interrupting. Richi spotted me as I moved closer into the light, though, and called out to me.

Son! Come here! Gulping, I slowly stepped into the lit chamber, waving slightly to everybody.

Um . . . hi, everybody . . . I'm really not very good at public speaking, much less when the people I'm speaking to think I'm someone I'm not. "D-Don't mind me; I don't want to interrupt anything . . .

Nonsense! You're the reason we started all this! Come, stand next to me. Richi motioned to the space next to him as everybody else stared at me. As I approached, mostly because I had no idea what else to do, the others whispered to each other. They spoke in such low voices even my sensitive ears couldn't pick up most of what they were saying. Whatever it was, it didn't help to settle my nerves any.

Sara? Vaporeon? A rescue would be very welcome right about now. It's been hours; they should've found me by now. I mean, all they would've had to do was follow my scent down the cliff to the water where I landed . . . while my scent was dispersed in the air, covered up by the water, then covered even more by Rami and Richi when they led me into this cavern . . . and she would've had to keep Railina and Vaporeon apart while dealing with all the other Pokemon, and dragging around all of our equipment . . .

In hindsight, I said to myself as I moved between Rami and Richi, maybe this isn't as bad as I thought . . .

Wait . . . The Squirtle looked at me with a suspicious eye that matched his tone of voice. You're saying that this Raichu is your son that you supposedly lost years ago, the one that was taken away by humans in dark clothing over ten years ago, when he was still a Pichu? He just showed up last night after all these years?

Yes; it's a miracle. We found him soaking wet next to the nearby river. He must have fallen in somewhere upstream and was carried down toward the fallen log. Isn't that right, son? Rami asked me, looking for confirmation of her explanation.

Um, yeah, that's exactly what happened . . . Oh man, I hope I'm not gonna be put on the spot the whole time. I pondered telling them all the truth, hoping I remembered which tunnel led back to where I'd came in if I had to make a run for it as the Squirtle continued.

Rami, Richi, I mean no disrespect, but you have got to be kidding me! There's no way you can be certain that this is your kid, and even if it is, he's been gone for years! Who knows what could've happened to him in the meantime; for all we know, the same humans who took him could have put something on him and are listening to everything we say right now!

How could you say that, Toris! We should recognize our own son if we saw him! Besides, the only electrical aura that we can sense on him is his own natural one, and we all know that something like what your describing would have some sort of different, detectable aura! Richi looked steamed, small sparks shooting from his cheeks. I was still lost at who the heck Toris was until the Squirtle started talking again.

Hmmph; whatever. I'm still gonna keep an eye on him . . . Toris the Squirtle said with a huff, folding his arms over his chest. Boy, I feel welcome . . .

So, Mom, Dad . . . I said, quickly changing the subject. What exactly is all this?

This, son, is the home of the Guardians. Rami said, motioning to the whole dome. At first, it was just me and your father protecting the local Pokemon from the humans that came into the woods, seeking to capture and train us. Our plans weren't very good; most of the time we'd just throw ourselves at the humans and their Pokemon, trying to distract them while the one they were trying to capture escaped. Over the years, however, we've evolved into a group with members all over the world, helping to spread our ideas and helping those in need.

I see . . . A pair of Raichus who lost their child managed to do all this? This wasn't adding up; they knew way too much about human technologies, they were much more intelligent than the average Pokemon, and the level of organization they had . . . could this really be the work of a pair of parents hurt by the loss of their kid?

So, when the humans took yo . . . er, me . . . away, you guys decided to fight against humans and their Pokemon? I asked, trying to get more details out of them.

That was our only goal at first, yes . . . Richi said, nodding a little. But it wasn't too long before that changed. One time, while protecting a Rattata, we'd accidentally knocked the human trainer out. While we were none too fond of humans, we didn't want to leave her exposed to the less friendly Pokemon and the elements, so we tried to take care of the human till she revived. We quickly realized how little we actually knew about humans, so we released her Pokemon from their

balls, hoping they could help us care for her. They did, but they also showed to us that not all humans are bad. They really cared about Ashley; that's what her name was. They showed to us that most humans aren't like the ones that took you away, that many treated Pokemon much better. After that, we slowly began to learn more about humans as they passed through our forest, and Pokemon who heard of our deeds began to join our cause.

We've come to use some of the tools that humans use, and we've learned much about them and their technology. Rami continued. While we still protect Pokemon that need it, such as those that are too young to defend themselves properly, we do allow humans who we feel are worthy to capture those of us who are willing to join them and be exposed to the world of humans, while still serving their role as Guardians as well. All of our members who are now with trainers spread our message of understanding and co-operation to both humans and Pokemon, and they offer their aid to those in need however they can.

Wow; you guys really have done a lot . . . I guess they learned about some of the stuff through their encounters with humans; that's the only logical explanation. Still, everything they'd accomplished was pretty amazing. The building techniques here in the dome, the organization this group had, their overall high intelligence; it was pretty astounding.

Hmm? Mom? Dad? What's that? I asked, pointing to what I'd just noticed in the center of the stump. It appeared to be something burned into the wood; it looked something like a pawprint. The print itself was roughly oval shaped, and was topped off by a trio of toes, the middle one seemingly the most extended one of them all.

That's our groups symbol The Bellsprout said, waving around slightly like a floor in the wind as it spoke. We use it mostly as a way for a member to show their allegiance to the Guardians, but we also use it for other things. We've encourage members to mark places where Pokemon and humans alike can be safe and comfortable.

Plusss . . . The Ekans added while I tried to ignore the slight chills it's hissing was giving me, We ussse it assss a warning sssign; if you ssssee our sssymbol with a large 'X' through it, avoid that area. We have no ssspecfic enemiesss, but sssome don't approve of what we do, either . . .

That's not entirely true . . . Richi said, shaking his head a little. We do have one specific enemy; the one's who took you away. Even after all these years, we still know nothing about them . . . wait . . . Richi's eyes suddenly lit up as he turned to me. Son, if you've managed to escape from them, then surely you must have some idea of who they are! There must be something you can tell us that will help us make sure nothing like this happens to anyone else ever again!

Richi put his paws on my shoulders, his eyes pleading, begging me for a name, a place, anything. I didn't think it would matter to him who I said or how hopeless the odds would be of him actually succeeding; he wanted revenge. My eyes darted back and forth as I thought desperately of something to say, feeling like I was holding a loaded gun in my hands and being told to pick something to shoot; the results could be devastating.

D-Dad, I-I . . . I d-d . . .

Please son; just tell me who they are! We have know! His grip tightened on me with each second, the desperation in his voice clearly evident. Rami came over, trying to get Richi to calm down as she tugged on his arm.

Dear, please, stop; you're hurting him . . .

Richi, forget about it. Look, if this really was your kid, he probably would've blurted out the whole story as soon as he found his way back here. Toris shook his head and sighed. That's not him . . .

BE QUIET! Richi let go of me, only to dive across the stump towards the Squirtle. The Squirtle fell backwards in shock, which combined with Rami wrapping her arms around Richi's tail at the last moment to keep him back, kept him from getting cooked.

I KNOW MY OWN CHILD WHEN I SEE HIM! HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY JUDGEMENT! Richi yelled in rage as I joined Rami in trying to reign in Richi, bringing my tail up to wrap around his foot and drag him back across the table.

Dad! Calm down! I yelled, walking backwards to pull him away from Toris as I kept my tail around him. He's not the one who took me away; he's trying to help! Don't hurt him! The Bellsprout put himself between Richi and Toris while the Ekans got the stunned Squirtle toward one of the exits.

Eventually I got Rami down to the ground away from everybody else, though he fought hard to chase after Toris. His rage soon burned out, though, and he collapsed against the stump in a heap, worn out. Rami looked none too pleased as she spoke.

Richi, you're getting much too old for this . . . she said with a sigh, looking to see the Bellsprout was now also making a hasty retreat. Guess that's all we're doing for now . . . Son, please help me get your father to the rest area . . .

Sure, Mom . . . We each knelt down to either side of him, getting his arms behind us and supporting him on our shoulders as we carried him to towards the room I'd just come out of.

I'm sorry you had to see that, son. Your father here's been like this ever since that night we lost you. Between seeing you taken away and the wound he suffered . . . it's been especially hard on him.

The wound? . . . Oh; that . . . Must've been referring to the scar on his belly. This was getting worse by the second; the longer this went on, the more hurtful the truth would be to them. It's not like I could try and fake it either; besides the fact that I had to get back to Sara and the others, these two would eventually realize the truth anyway; then there would be real trouble . . .

I glanced over at Richi to seem how he was doing. He seemed to be totally worn out, almost to the point of passing out. At least I should try and find out a little more about what happened to their kid; Rami seemed to be the calmer and more reasonable of the two, and Richi seemed like he could barely recognize what was happening around him, so it was unlikely he would be able to contribute much anyway.

Mom . . . I-I didn't wanna say anything before, but . . . what happened that night that I got taken away? It was so long ago, and I was so little, I-I really don't remember much . . . I said, trying to fake a bit of sadness in my voice to sound more believable. I thought it sounded genuine; in hindsight, it actually felt genuine to me . . .

You don't remember? . . . Rami seemed a little shocked, but she quickly recovered. N-no, I suppose you wouldn't remember everything . . . let's put your father down here . . .

Having made it to the rest area, we gently settled Richi down on the straw. After making sure he was alright, we moved to the other end of the room and sat down so Rami could tell the story.

You were always a curious little baby; sniffing every new plant you found, trying to eat anything that looked like food, getting into the strangest places when you explored . . . occasionally you would go out at night and explore then too. We didn't mind; you knew where our tree was, so you never got lost, and we never thought there was any real danger around here, so we let you have your fun. Rami looked upset as she sighed. We're still ashamed of that mistake, even after all these years . . .

Something happened one night when I was out by myself? I asked, blinking a little as I felt my eyes starting to get watery. Must've been some dirt from the ground or something; I certainly wasn't getting emotional. This wasn't really me we were talking about, after all . . .

Rami nodded. We heard your cries for help far away one night. Your father and I rushed to you, but by the time we found you, several men in dark clothing had you in a net and were putting you into one of those human vehicles; I think it's called a van . . . you were crying and scared, begging us to help. We tried to get by the humans, but one of them used one of his trained Pokemon on us, a Nidoking. It just picked us up by our tails and held us while they locked you in the back

of the van. W-We couldn't do anything; it wasn't even fazed by our attacks . . .

Don't feel bad, Mom; it's a ground type, we can't use electricity on them . . . I said, trying to comfort her as I blinked back more water in my eyes; stupid cave dust . . .

I-I know, but . . . we felt so helpless; they didn't even feel we were worth taking . . . the human put the Nidoking back in his ball as they started to leave. I landed on my back when I fell, but Richi landed right on his feet and took off right after the human, biting him, yelling at him to give you back . . . he barely saw the knife the human pulled in time; if he hadn't leapt away when he did, I would've lost you both that night . . . it only grazed him, but it left that scar on him, just like it left a scar in our hearts when we realized we would probably never see you again as they drove away . . . Rami sniffed, the ground near her feet getting wet as she cried. We could still hear you crying . . .

M-Mom . . . I reached out and hugged her as best I could, my tears joining hers on the ground.

I've never really considered myself to be a very emotional guy, but I couldn't help but feel deeply saddened by her story. It couldn't have affected me on a personal level; it shouldn't have, but somehow it did. It just couldn't be that I was really their child, but for some reason,

on some level, it did really feel like I'd just been reunited with my parents.

I don't know exactly how long we stood there, supporting each other as we cried, her asking again and again to forgive them for what they did, me saying it was O.K . . . then I would cry even more, knowing that it wasn't really O.K at all, because they had the wrong Raichu, and it was going to be nearly impossible to tell them the truth now. It seemed like ages before we were finally able to regain control of ourselves.

W-Well . . . Rami said, sniffing and wiping away the tears from her eyes, the important thing is that you're back now; now's a time for us to be happy, not bawling like this . . .

R-Right . . . um, why don't you show me around, Mom? I really wanna see what kind of stuff you guys have here . . . I said, trying to straighten myself out as I slowly let go of her.

Certainly . . . She glanced back at Richi for a moment, then led me off back down the tunnel. Come, let's go . . .

Rami led me to the various areas of their little underground base, showing me where they collected technology that humans either lost or gave them, a small dome that they used for practice battles, and where they stored their food.

I was only half listening when Rami told me about the crude refrigeration system they used to store cold food, still mulling over her story in my mind. Parts of her story sounded very familiar; the men in dark clothes, their rough treatment, taking small children . . . there was a chance but it would be so coincidental; the odds were nearly impossible . . .

Son? Is everything O.K? Rami asked, shaking me from my thoughts.

Huh? Oh, yeah, everything's fine . . . I said quickly, trying to sound calm. I stifled a little yawn; all the activity had worn me out. Sorry Mom; I'm getting a little tired. Do you mind if I go and lay down for a little bit?

No, of course not . . . come; I should check on your father anyway . . . We started back toward the rest area, passing through the central area with the stump again as we did. I glanced back at their symbol burned into the wood; that looked familiar from somewhere . . .

Mom? That symbol you use . . . it looks familiar, but I can't quite . . .

It's a Pichu footprint. Rami said quickly, cutting me off. when we lost you, all we had left of you were some prints you'd left in the ground. When we started to become more organized, we decided to use that as a symbol, to remind us of what we were doing all this for . . .

I didn't say anything to that; I just nodded as we entered the rest area. Richi was still out cold as I sat against a wall. I didn't really want to fall asleep or anything; I just needed a couple of minutes to collect my thoughts and close my eyes. Just a few minutes . . .

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The big noisy thing we were all in stopped making noise after a while. Then its sides opened, and the people in the dark clothes who took me away took me with them out of it. I tried to tell them again that I didn't want to be here, that I wanted to go back with Mommy and Daddy, but I don't think they listened. Even if they did, I don't think they would let me go back to Mommy and Daddy; they didn't seem very nice . . .

The sun was in my eyes when they carried me out of the noisy thing; I covered my eyes so they wouldn't get hurt by the sun. When I didn't think the sun was there anymore, I opened my eyes again. We were in a different place now; it was very dark and I didn't like it much. There were other people here too; they had white clothes on and stood in front of big things with lots of bright and shiny things on them. I tried to tell them I wanted to go home, but they didn't listen either. Then I tried to play with the shiny and bright things, but the person in the dark clothes who was carrying me didn't let me do that, either.

The people in dark and white clothes said things to each other; I didn't understand it much, and it wasn't very fun. I looked around for something more fun to do, but there didn't seem to be a lot of fun things here at all. I didn't like this place . . .

The people's started to move as they talked, taking me with them. We went by lots of boring things, and I didn't really like them, but then, we stopped in front of something different. It looked like water was in something that had no color, but the water was green, and there was something inside the water too. It had some big thing on it's mouth, and it didn't look very happy. I couldn't see very much else, but then it started to move and make noise. The thing that held all the strange water started to shake when the thing in the water hit it. That was very scary, and I started to cry again.

The people in dark and white clothes didn't do anything to make me feel better, so I cried for a long time. The person in dark clothes that held me put me down in something as I started to stop crying. It was big and black, with long bars all around it. Then they walked away and left me alone. At least, I was alone at first.

When I wiped away the tears from my crying, I saw something else in here with me. It was yellow and black and red, with a black tail in a silly shape and red cheeks and big pointy ears. When I crawled toward him, he crawled toward me too. He must've been a baby too; he was very small like me too, and he didn't look happy to be here either. He looked like . . .

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Son? Son!

I was jerked out of my nap, feeling sparks flying off my cheeks as I jumped to my feet. Richi backed off quickly, looking hurt and confused as he did. Once I remembered where I was, I sighed and tried to calm down.

Sorry Dad, I didn't mean that . . .

I-It's alright, son . . . you were just saying strange things while you slept, and I was worried . . .

I-I'm fine . . . No, that was a lie; that dream had pretty much confirmed my suspicions. I could barely bring my eyes to meet Richi's as I spoke.

Dad . . . could you get Mom in here? I-I have to tell you guys something . . .

Yes son, certainly . . . Richi seemed confused, but he left to go get Rami as I stood up.

I started to collect my thoughts as I waited for them to come back; I couldn't hide the truth from them anymore. After having that dream, right after what they told me . . . it wasn't solid proof, but it was enough for me to confirm what I had been starting to suspect. I just hoped they would understand . . .

Rami and Richi came back quickly, both of them looking very confused. I took a deep breath; here goes nothing . . .

What is it, son? What did you want to tell us? Richi asked, tilting his head a little in confusion.

D . . . no, Richi . . . Rami, I'm . . . I'm not your son.

Both of them just stood there for a moment, letting that settle in. It felt like at least a minute had passed before Rami responded.

Son, don't be silly, of course you . . .

No; I'm not . . . not really . . . This is where things were going to get really complicated. Do you two understand genetics?

Jen . . . ecticks? Richi looked even more confused. We haven't found any of those . . .

No, you don't find them . . . do you know how, when you have a child, it's a little bit of both of it's parents? They both nodded slowly; we were off to a good start. Now, things would get complicated . . .

I told them about Hybrids, how they were made of both humans and Pokemon. I told them about Team Rocket, and how they had made Hybrids to use for their own reasons, but then lost most of them. Then I told them how I was one of those Hybrids, and that they could sometimes change into Pokemon.

But . . . Rami looked even more confused. I don't understand, what does this have to do with you not being our son? . . .

Well . . . in a way, I am your son, but in a way, I'm not eithier . . . remember how I said how Hybrids are made from humans and Pokemon? They both nodded in acknowledgment, so I continued.

Well, since I'm made from a human and a Pokemon, who each had their own parents, I technically have two mothers and two fathers.

But you are our son, your scent . . . Richi started, but I stopped him midway through.

I think . . . when they combined my human self with a Pokemon, the Pokemon they combined me with was . . . your son . . .

I let that sink in for a moment, going over the facts in my head just to be certain. It made sense; you can't pick up Pokemon DNA at your local PokeMart with your Potions; it would've had to have come from a Pokemon, and Mom had said that the tests they'd received proved I was their son. This was the only possible explanation; their son's DNA had been combined with my own to turn me into a Hybrid. That's why Rami and Richi seemed so certain that I was their kid; in a way, I was . . .

Rami, Richi . . . I-I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you sooner, but you were so happy to see me, to see your son . . . I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I wasn't even sure you'd understand . . .

N-No, it's alright . . . Richi sighed as Rami looked close to crying again. It was foolish of us to think you were our son without asking questions, getting more information . . .

L-Listen, if it will help any, I-I could stay a little while . . . I didn't think that would help much, but I felt guilty for having to hurt them like this; I wanted to make it up somehow. Rami blinked back her tears and shook her head.

N-No; that wouldn't be right. If you're truly not our son, then it we couldn't ask you to stay here, just for our sakes . . .

Then maybe you two could come with me; maybe one day we can find your real son and . . .

We can't do that either . . . Richi said; he kept a straight face, but I got the impression he was holding his real emotions back. We have a job to do here; we can't just abandon everything we've done here on a slim hope.

I understand. I said as I nodded in agreement. Rami, Richi . . . I have to get back to my friends; they're probably worried sick about me. I can't say for sure I'll find him, but if I ever can, I'll find the guys who did this to you, and make them pay; maybe I could even find your son

for you . . .

Thank you . . . Rami still looked crushed, but I thought I caught a little glimmer of hope in her eye. Richi glanced back toward the central hub with the stump.

Our tunnels run all around here; if you can give us a general idea where you came from, we could probably get you back very close to your friends . . .

Thank you . . . After getting some directions out, I started off back toward the others. I turned back just before I left, waving slowly to them.

Bye Mom . . . bye Dad . . . I managed to get out, giving them one last look before taking off, not wanting them to see me crying as I left. I could her Richi's words echoing through the tunnel behind me as I made my way back to my friends.

Bye, son . . .


End file.
